Ukrainian farms are scaling up production of winter onions and forming export batches for Romania and other European markets as part of a Ukrainian–South Korean project. Key requirements for export include compliance with EU packaging standards and access to specialised storage facilities, according to Vitalii Bilan, founder of Pan Bilan farm.
Bilan noted that interest from European buyers can start from volumes of around 280 t, which can be produced on relatively small areas. However, stable exports require a storage capacity of 1,500–2,000 t, allowing sales over three to four months after harvest. Such infrastructure enables farms to expand winter onion production to around 15 ha, while smaller producers can participate by supplying 1–2 ha through a shared logistics model.
Within the project, winter onions are positioned as a sustainable crop, with partners also focusing on liquid organic fertilisers and crop protection solutions. From 2026, Pan Bilan plans to export branded winter onions to Europe, while sales on the domestic market will continue. The model is based on a central logistics hub where onions from participating farms are sorted, stored, and prepared for export.
A 20 ha winter onion project requires around UAH 8 million in investment and forecasts gross revenue of UAH 12 million, implying profitability of about 50%. Early hybrids command higher prices at the end of May, while later varieties allow the harvest season to be extended from late May to early July. Winter onions are considered competitive with supplies from Spain, Italy, Morocco and Egypt, with indicative EU market prices of around EUR 0.20/kg.
Source: agrotimes.ua
