The 2025 season has proven challenging for Ukrainian vegetable growers. A sharp expansion of planted areas under so-called “borscht vegetables” led to an oversupply on the market and a rapid decline in prices, ProAgro Group reports.

As a result, farmers are forced to sell their produce at prices that in some cases are several times lower than production costs, said Taras Bashtannyk, President of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association.

According to him, the oversupply affected all key vegetables, including onions, cabbage, carrots, beets, and potatoes. The main driver was high prices in the previous season, which encouraged producers to significantly expand planting areas without adequately considering market risks.

“Only farms with high-quality vegetable storage facilities have a chance to make a profit, or at least avoid losses. This allows them to hold produce until late winter or early spring, when at least a minimal price recovery is expected. As for greenhouse vegetables, Ukrainian cucumbers and tomatoes remain twice as expensive as Turkish imports due to high energy costs, which is a traditional challenge during the winter season,” the expert noted.

As previously reported, Poland also experienced potato oversupply this year, with exports in January–August 2025 exceeding 100,000 tonnes and reaching a record high.

Source: SEEDS