Ukrainian vegetable production today directly depends on the availability of modern professional storage facilities, particularly those built using Dutch technologies. Despite weather-related losses of fruit and berry harvests, farmers engaged in their cultivation managed to achieve significant profits in 2024. Meanwhile, the vegetable segment showed a good harvest, but the financial results for producers were far less optimistic, according to ProAgro Group.
Andrii Marushchak, Commercial Director of Van Dijk Technics — a company specializing in professional solutions for vegetable storage and processing of berries, fruits, and vegetables — shared insights on whether Ukrainian vegetable growers managed to earn this season and what could increase their market stability.
Potato Market: High Yields — Low Prices
According to Andrii Marushchak, despite pessimistic forecasts, potato yields were very good this year. However, prices remained at the level of production cost. Last year’s high prices for potatoes and onions encouraged many producers to expand the acreage of these crops, in some cases doubling it. Favorable weather conditions in both Ukraine and Europe resulted in overproduction, which significantly lowered prices.
Unlike farmers in Poland or the Netherlands, Ukrainian producers do not receive state subsidies or preferential loans. This makes Ukrainian potatoes more expensive to grow and the market more unstable. Similar price fluctuations repeat every 4–6 years depending on weather conditions.
Despite this, quality potatoes remain in demand, but they represent only a small share of the market. The highest-quality batches are sold first and almost completely disappear by spring, causing gradual price growth later in the season. In spring, Ukraine traditionally switches to imports from Poland, where advanced storage technologies allow potatoes to be preserved until summer without loss of quality.
Onion Overproduction and Storage Deficit
A similar situation is observed in the onion market. This year, onion yields were extremely high across the country. At the same time, consumption is significantly lower than for potatoes, leading to rapid market oversaturation.
Due to the lack of professional storage facilities, farmers are forced to sell onions immediately after harvest, especially when crops are exposed to prolonged rainfall. In some regions, producers sold onions at 3–4 UAH/kg, which is below production cost, because without proper storage the product would simply spoil.
Producers who do have modern storage facilities can safely keep their harvest and sell it once the price stabilizes — even an additional 1–2 UAH/kg significantly improves profitability.
Can Processing Help Stabilize the Market?
Low prices for fresh onions are driving growing interest in processing and freezing. Such enterprises have been actively developing in Ukraine for the past eight years, and today the market already includes strong players expanding their production lines.
Frozen onions — diced or sliced into rings — are increasingly exported. Low raw material prices make processing economically attractive. Although a mass expansion of onion-processing capacities has not yet begun, experts are confident that this segment has significant future potential.
What Will Happen to Prices Next Year?
Marushchak emphasizes that vegetable prices in Ukraine directly depend on weather conditions.
- A high harvest means low prices.
- A low harvest results in higher prices.
This balance shapes the rules of the game for Ukraine’s vegetable market.
As reported earlier, Ukraine increased potato acreage by a quarter and harvested 50% more potatoes in 2025.
Source: SEEDS
