Ukraine's vegetable storage gap has widened, with a current deficit estimated at more than 1 million tons. The figures come from the Institute of Agrarian Economics, as outlined by Oleksandr Zakharchuk, corresponding member of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences and department head, in comments to Komersant Ukrainian.
Zakharchuk states that "during the full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, more than a quarter, over 280 thousand tons of simultaneous storage capacities were destroyed." He notes that national demand for vegetable storage is between 1 and 1.2 million tons, while operational capacity stands at only 165,000 to 170,000 tons. Existing facilities, therefore, cover only a fraction of requirements.
According to Zakharchuk, "to ensure the food security of the state, it is necessary to build modernized vegetable stores with a capacity of 10-20 thousand tons at least in each region." The construction of new facilities is limited primarily by cost. A 10,000-ton vegetable store can exceed 100 million UAH, or roughly US$2.5 million based on current exchange rates.
The expert notes that investment barriers remain high. However, he adds that "factors that will contribute to the construction of vegetable stores include state financial support and cheaper credit resources."
The shortfall in storage capacity has direct implications for growers, traders, and post-harvest operators, particularly in segments handling onions, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and other crops that depend on controlled-atmosphere or cooled environments to maintain quality over extended periods. The lack of storage infrastructure can also affect planting decisions and market stability, increasing reliance on rapid marketing channels or leading to seasonal oversupply.
Zakharchuk's comments indicate that regional-scale units of 10,000 to 20,000 tons could form the backbone of improved post-harvest logistics. For greenhouse operators and protected-crop growers, the wider storage shortage shapes downstream market behaviour, including seasonal pricing and the availability of complementary field-grown vegetables.
The Institute of Agrarian Economics' assessment suggests that Ukraine's storage infrastructure will require coordinated investment to recover capacity lost during the conflict period.
Source: AgroNews
