Ucrania: "Ban on Ukrainian potatoes in EU remains in place due to misleading statistics"

"This situation has arisen due to the dissemination of false information that Ukraine is able to harvest 22 million tons of potatoes," explains Ihor Shkurko, a candidate of economics and the head of PJSC Chernihiv Elite Potato Research Institute.

"Such figures would mean that every fourth train car or grain truck would be loaded with potatoes. That is simply not the case. If 3 million tons are harvested this year, that is already a good result. In normal years, the harvest is around 5-6 million tons," Shkurko said.

He also noted that potato cultivation in private households has declined significantly, and many small-scale farmers who grew one hectare of potatoes have stopped growing them. "The ongoing war, labor shortages and other challenges will keep production low next year," Shkurko added.

He believes the inflated figure of 22 million tonnes, which makes Ukraine the world’s fourth-largest potato producer, has alarmed other global players, contributing to the imposition of quarantine restrictions that have prevented Ukrainian potatoes from entering the European market.