Ukrainian onion growers once again faced disappointment this season as market prices failed to reach the levels many had hoped for. According to Kseniia Huseva, fruit and vegetable market analyst at APK-Inform, farmers repeated last year's mistake by sowing too much, expecting prices to rise.
"Many expected spring prices to reach 30–40 UAH/kg (€0.61-€0.82), as they did two years ago, but the maximum was only 15 UAH/kg (€0.31)," Huseva explained. "Production volumes are high, but the average quality is lower."
In the Odesa region, heavy rains forced growers to sell part of their harvest quickly, while in drier areas, particularly Dnipro and Western Ukraine, onions are being stored for later sale. Over the past few years, many former producers from Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia have relocated their operations to western regions, continuing to grow their familiar crop there.
Experts advise paying closer attention to quality and storage potential in these new growing areas. Last year, part of the onion stockpiled in Western Ukraine proved unsuitable for long-term storage due to size inconsistency and disease issues.
Source: agronews.ua
