Wholesale potato prices in Ukraine have moved into growth after a prolonged period of stability. The first signs of price increases appeared at the beginning of last week, ProAgro Group reports.

Since mid-December 2025, prices in this segment had remained virtually unchanged, while in the second half of the month producers were even forced to lower asking prices, primarily for potato batches unsuitable for long-term storage.

The situation began to change in mid-January. Against the backdrop of steady demand and declining supply, farmers raised prices to UAH 7-13/kg, which is on average 16% higher than at the end of the first ten days of the month. At the same time, wholesale companies increasingly report a shortage of quality potatoes on the domestic market.

Experts attribute the price growth to an overall reduction in supply. Farms lacking modern storage facilities sold most of their volumes before the onset of frost, while producers holding high-quality potatoes are currently restraining sales in anticipation of higher prices closer to spring.

Market instability is also linked to quality issues in the 2025 harvest. Unfavorable weather conditions during harvesting, particularly heavy rainfall in several regions, negatively affected both the appearance and storability of potatoes. An additional factor was the relatively low quality of locally sourced seed material widely used last season.

Despite the recent increase, potato prices in Ukraine remain 60–65% lower than during the same period last year. Owners of quality produce expect the upward price trend to strengthen further—if not in the coming weeks, then at the beginning of spring.

Earlier reports noted that potato prices in Ukrainian supermarkets began rising in the second half of December last year.

Source: EastFruit