The potato season in Ukraine has been particularly difficult for both farmers and processors due to a combination of drought and extreme heat.
At the start of the season, heavy rains delayed the ideal planting time until mid-to-late May, negatively impacting both sprouting and crop quality. Later, extreme summer temperatures, reaching 35-37°C, further stressed the plants. The situation worsened with an increase in aphids, which spread viral infections, posing an additional challenge for farmers.
Currently, harvesting is severely hindered, especially on heavier soils. The hard, dry soil is damaging both harvesting and sorting equipment, as well as the potatoes themselves. On clay and chernozem soils, it is nearly impossible to dig under these conditions, although harvesting continues on lighter, sandy soils.
These difficult conditions have significantly slowed down the work of both potato farmers and processors. Many have temporarily suspended operations, waiting for rainfall to soften the ground. As a result, potato processing plants are not working at full capacity and use only the potatoes that can be harvested in the current tough conditions.
Source: agroportal.ua