Approximately 35% of vegetables grown in Ukraine fail to reach consumers due to spoilage during storage or transit, according to Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaliy Koval. Speaking on a telethon, Koval emphasized that the destruction of agricultural infrastructure, including vegetable storage facilities, has exacerbated the issue.
Koval stated, "If we talk about vegetables, an important component of vegetable prices after the harvest season is the availability of storage capacity, i.e., vegetable storage facilities." He highlighted that about 280,000 tons of storage are either in occupied territories or destroyed across Ukraine. "We remember how vegetable storage facilities burned near Kyiv at the beginning of the full-scale invasion," Koval added.
The primary task, according to Koval, is to build and restore storage infrastructure to stabilize prices and preserve the harvest. "Approximately 35% of vegetables grown in Ukraine do not reach the consumer because they spoil during storage or transportation," he reiterated.
Source: Ukranian National News