Representatives of the Association of Potato Growers of Moldova believe that in 2022 the marketable area under this crop will sharply decrease in the country. There are many reasons, the main one is the low prices for potatoes over the past two seasons, the portal reports. east fruit.
Potato farmers claim that they sold the bulk of the 2021 crop products at a wholesale price of 3-3,5 lei/kg ($0,16-0,19/kg), i.e. about 15-20% cheaper than a year earlier. At the end of last - beginning of this year, the price of potatoes has risen. In January 2022, the price range was 4-5 lei/kg ($0,22-0,27/kg). The average price for it is already significantly higher than the January level last year (3,5 lei/kg, $0,20/kg). However, experts of the industry association believe that this is a weak incentive for farmers to keep the area under potatoes at a high “pandemic” level - about 19-20 thousand hectares.
Most producers of vegetables and potatoes - crops that are very demanding in terms of nutrition - are not able to purchase mineral fertilizers in the required quantity, which have risen in price three times or more. Also in Moldova, the price of imported planting material has risen. A significant increase in electricity tariffs is expected - that is, the cost of supplying water to the fields. To top it all off, Moldovan potato growing has a high level of manual labor.
Taking into account all these factors, the industry association believes that compared to last year's figure, the area planted with potatoes in the country will be reduced by at least 15-20%.