Ukraine is witnessing long-awaited growth in the construction of vegetable storage facilities, with farmers actively investing in new capacities. According to Andrii Marushchak, commercial director of Van Dijk Technics, the initiative is being driven mainly by small and medium-sized producers, while large-scale infrastructure is still lacking.
The shortage of modern storage has long been one of the main weaknesses of Ukraine's vegetable sector. New facilities are expected to improve local supply stability; however, experts emphasise that storage alone is not enough, as processing remains the key driver for the industry.
The most promising processing directions include potato products such as French fries, chips, and dried puree. Onion processing could expand through freezing and drying, while carrots and other vegetables are seen as less attractive. However, without sufficient storage capacity, year-round processing will be impossible.
Regional dynamics are also shifting. Previously, onions were mainly cultivated in southern Kherson, but soaring logistics costs are now prompting production to move further north and west.
Marushchak notes that Ukrainian consumers remain focused almost exclusively on "borsch set" vegetables: Potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and beets. Consumption of other vegetables is still below 30% of the WHO's recommended daily intake, although crops such as turnip, parsnip, savoy cabbage, and sweet potato hold strong potential.
In terms of prices, potatoes in the upcoming season are expected to cost around UAH 10/kg in October, though they will never return to the "cheap" levels of UAH 5. Cabbage production, meanwhile, could even face oversupply after last season's record-high prices.
According to experts, the next step after the expansion of small and medium storage should be cooperative processing plants capable of handling 50,000–100,000 tonnes annually, a model already proven in Europe.
Source: www.seeds.org.ua