According to the Ukrainian agricultural company MAIS, construction is underway on the country's first full-cycle potato processing plant. The company, widely known for its corn breeding programs, is now expanding into potato processing, an area still undeveloped in Ukraine.
The new facility will produce up to 60,000 tonnes of finished products annually, including frozen French fries and potato flakes. Production will operate under a mixed model, using both in-house and contracted raw materials from farms within a 150 km radius. According to MAIS founder Serhii Tereshchuk, the project aims to lay the foundation for a more structured and predictable potato market in Ukraine.
Despite Ukraine ranking among the top global potato producers, it lacks domestic processing capacity, Tereshchuk explains.
The company began with elite seed potato production, importing varieties from Europe suited for processing.
The first stage of the project includes a flake and potato flour production line, with equipment already purchased. MAIS plans to reach full operation within two years, requiring around 180,000 tonnes of potatoes annually. The company already operates storage facilities for 20,000 tonnes and plans to expand capacity further.
The domestic market currently absorbs roughly 30,000 tonnes of French fries per year, mostly through imports. MAIS aims to serve both Ukrainian and export markets, including the EU and the Middle East, where annual demand for processed potato products is growing by 5–7%.
Tereshchuk adds that industrialization in potato farming is accelerating, similar to the dairy sector years ago. Larger, more technologically equipped farms are replacing smaller producers, driving efficiency, quality, and consistency.
Source: latifundist.com
