Since October 2024, potato prices in Ukraine have remained relatively high. Although prices temporarily declined in April due to an oversupply and deteriorating quality in storage, they have started to rise again. The increase is especially noticeable in the segment of locally grown young potatoes.
Many farmers rushed to sell off their remaining stock before it spoiled. As of early May, regular potatoes in Ukrainian supermarkets are priced between approximately €0.70 and €0.94 per kilogram. Pink varieties are slightly more expensive, reaching up to €0.89/kg. High-quality imported potatoes from the previous season, particularly from Poland, are also available at prices similar to those of local produce.
Young Ukrainian potatoes remain significantly more expensive. As of April 30, 2025, they are being sold in supermarkets and markets for between €2.21 and €3.26 per kilogram. In contrast, imported young potatoes—mainly from Egypt and Israel—are available at much lower prices, ranging from €0.84 to €0.98 per kilogram.
According to Serhiy Rybalko, head of the "Adelaide" farming enterprise, the high cost of Ukrainian young potatoes is due to their cultivation method. These early-season crops are grown in greenhouses, which leads to low yields and high production costs. This makes them a unique, limited-quantity product. Prices are expected to decrease by mid-May and into June, especially as potatoes grown under agrofibre coverings enter the market.
Rybalko notes that consumer demand for young potatoes is modest; most buyers purchase small quantities just to try them. Daily consumption across Ukraine is estimated at only around five tonnes. Due to high prices, a significant share of the produce goes unsold and is wasted.
Imported potatoes currently available on store shelves are not actually young; they are standard varieties grown in conventional field conditions. The cost of producing these is at least three times lower than that of true young potatoes, which explains the price disparity.
As for this year's potato harvest, Ukrainian farmers are not yet making clear predictions. Rybalko suggests that current growing conditions are worse than at the same time last year, but it remains too early to estimate how the season will unfold.
Source: 24tv.ua