The war has hit potato producers in Ukraine.

The full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has had a direct destructive impact on the potato market. This is evidenced by the results of a study by the KSE Institute. Sowing areas have decreased by 21%, while the volume of potato production has shrunk by 11% due to the increase in yield levels. Domestically grown seed potatoes, predominantly cultivated in the south, have virtually disappeared from the market. From 2015 to 2024, Ukraine was a net importer of seed potatoes. The exception was 2022, when the volume of seed potato imports decreased by 4 times compared to 2021. Meanwhile, in 2024, the volume of imported table potatoes accounted for only 2.3% of the gross harvest, while in 2021, which was characterized by the largest import volumes, it was 8.1%. Overall, before the full-scale war, particularly in 2019 to 2021, Ukraine saw a rapid increase in the import of both fresh and chilled food potatoes and seed potatoes. In two years, imports, which decreased by ...