Ukraine started importing potatoes due to fears of a shortage: the first shipments from Poland and Lithuania

In September 2024, despite the height of its own harvest, Ukraine began importing potatoes from Poland and Lithuania. This was the result of fears about a possible shortage of quality products in the domestic market. The EastFruit analytical platform reports on the increase in imports.

According to official data, from September 1 to 23, the country has already received three truckloads of potatoes. The first batch arrived from Lithuania and was 22 tons worth $10.56 thousand. Poland supplied 42 tons of potatoes valued at $20,164,000. These deliveries are caused by concerns about a possible lack of quality products in the current season.

According to the information of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, in the first eight months of 2024, the country imported 15 thousand tons of potatoes. In the same period, the export of Ukrainian potatoes was extremely insignificant and amounted to only 760 tons worth $215 thousand, which indicates a significant discrepancy between the volume of imports and exports.

In general, the import of potatoes to Ukraine for the period from January to August cost the country $9.324 million, while the revenue from exports remained at the level of $215 thousand. This situation raises questions about the state of the domestic market and the ability of Ukrainian farmers to provide the population with potatoes in sufficient quantity and of appropriate quality.

It is interesting that in previous years, Ukraine had a fairly stable potato harvest, and import needs were minimal. However, due to unfavorable weather conditions, logistical problems and some speculation in the market, there was a need to bring in additional resources from abroad to prevent possible supply disruptions.

The potential shortage and import dependency is a concern not only for farmers but also for consumers as it may affect prices and quality of produce in the near term.