Professional potato producers in Ukraine plan to plant it on an area of 7052 hectares, which is 25% more than in 2018, said Oksana Ruzhenkova, executive director of the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers.
This became known after receiving the results of internal monitoring among the members of the association, which are a representative sample, since they own 1/5 of all industrial areas under potatoes.
Commodity potatoes are expected to occupy 5067 ha, seed potatoes - 1435 ha, potatoes for processing - 550 ha.
These indicators are not final, since not all farmers have expressed their views and the process of concluding contracts with processors continues in real time. In particular, chips manufacturing plants are interested in products. It is predicted that the demand for potatoes this year will be greater than last year, as a new chips manufacturer Pepsico will enter the market, says Oksana Ruzhenkova.
Producers plan to plant potatoes of their own reproduction. It will occupy 63% of the area. Certified, including imported seed, will be planted on 37% of the land.
Recall that in 2018 UAPK farms laid down 152 thousand tons of potatoes for storage.
