For 9 months of the current season in Ukraine, tomato import figures have already exceeded the volume of purchases for the entire 2018. At the same time, their exports dropped significantly. As of October 1, Ukraine exported only 6 thousand tons of tomatoes abroad, which was the lowest figure in the last 8 years. The reasons for this situation and the future of the Ukrainian vegetable market to EastFruit were told by Vladimir Vishnyakov, director of the Agrokoin LLC in Zaporozhye, specializing in growing tomatoes.
— In your opinion, what is the reason for the sharp decline in the export of Ukrainian tomatoes this season?
- The main reason is the aggravation of the situation with quarantine pests. This makes it impossible for us to export products. In the autumn turnover it was possible to pass at a price to the Baltic States, Belarus. But now phytosanitary services do not let our goods through.
- Why did the situation become so aggravated in this season?
- Every year there are problems, but over the past six months they have rolled like an avalanche. The fact is that this year the tomato moth (tomato mining moth Tuta absoluta - ed.) Has multiplied so much that it has already reached every corner of our country. However, it damages not only tomatoes, but also eggplants and potatoes. And potatoes are our most popular crop. And it turns out wherever the infected tomato was brought, there in a year and a half the tomato moth will inflict a catastrophic blow, which primarily affects the potatoes.
- What measures are now being taken by farmers against this parasite?
- It is useless to introduce quarantine. Today, agricultural producers struggle with moths with all fungicidal preparations that exist in Ukraine. A lot of money is invested in spraying, but to no avail. Producers are already clutching their heads due to the fact that they are not able to fully harvest their crops. They remain not only without profit, but go into negative territory. In my understanding, the Ukrainian vegetable market will collapse in a year and a half. Imagine: the harvested potatoes in the basement will not even lie for a month or two due to the fact that the moth worm will simply destroy it, and nothing will remain until spring.
Six months ago, we ourselves did not understand the seriousness of this problem. We knew about this pest, but did not realize the extent of the possible damage. To understand: one tomato moth butterfly lays about 100 thousand eggs per week, which are very difficult to destroy. A worm emerges from each egg in a week, which in a few days becomes a butterfly - and so on in a circle!
- And how do they fight this moth abroad?
- I was in Turkey and saw how they grow. They don't have such a disaster. They have special technologies and pest nets. You also need to take into account the climatic conditions.
It is necessary to take into account the proper organization of the processing of plants from this pest. Imagine that in one area about 2, 5 thousand hectares of vegetables covered with a film. Each farm of 10-15 hectares buys fungicides, for one treatment of 1 hectare leaves from 5 to 10 thousand UAH. Processing in the summer at +25 ° C should be carried out every 4-5 days, since in hot weather the moth spreads faster, like any fungus or plant. That is, they all process their crops as needed, and one, for example, my grandmother does not process for some individual reasons. And its beds become a hotbed of pest for other households.
Due to all these reasons, the problem is unsolvable today. The next 10 years it will be the scourge of Ukraine.
- That is, a decrease in tomato exports is inevitable?
- We are able to grow vegetables on our own and provide them with the domestic market, but we will not be able to export them outside the country. We are already unable to export. Accordingly, in the future we will lose foreign sales markets.
Source: https://east-fruit.com/