Ukrainians are already frightened by record prices for tomatoes. In addition, sugar prices will soon jump by almost a quarter. At the same time, farmers predict that the country will also face a shortage of potatoes.
As Segodnya writes, at the beginning of August the potato ends the growing season. This means that the tubers are already formed and the plant will not grow again. Potato grower Nikolai Furdyga says that the early harvest was damaged by the heat, and the later - by the rains. There are potatoes, but they are smaller than expected.
Potatoes this year are either small or weak, and therefore it will be difficult to avoid a shortage of quality vegetables. For this reason, its value will hit the wallets of Ukrainians. The price, experts predict, will be at least twice as high as last year.
Now for a kilogram of potatoes they ask about 18 hryvnias. And the price will fall by a maximum of two hryvnia.
However, farmers now do not recommend stocking up sacks of potatoes - the vegetable will not be able to lie for a long time, because he ripened in extreme conditions.
“Insufficient protection against wireworms, as well as cracks, because during the growing season there was a lot of both rainy and dry periods. Moreover, immediately after the drought, it rained, the growth processes were fast, because the tubers are destroyed. These potatoes will not last until spring, ”explains Nikolai Furdyga, deputy director for breeding and seed production at the Potato Institute.
Those who are still going to stock up potatoes for the winter, experts advise to wait at least another month.
“If people want to save a little and buy potatoes a little cheaper, this should be done sometime in early to mid-September. This will be the peak harvesting season for Ukrainian potatoes, ”advises Nelia Onishchenko, an analyst with the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation.
For those for whom potatoes this year will be too expensive, nutritionists advise an alternative.
“Can be replaced with carrots. And there is also such a vegetable - sweet potato. These are also karchmal vegetables, they, like potatoes, contain a lot of quickly digestible starch, ”says nutritionist Inna Railko.
But to be afraid that in winter potatoes will disappear from the shelves is not necessary, experts reassure. They assure that large agricultural companies that grow potatoes have vegetable stores, where the root crop will survive until spring. In addition, if necessary, import will save Ukrainians.
Source: https://ukranews.com/