In spring 2024, Ukraine will import all the vegetables for the borscht set.
This opinion was expressed by the head of the project “APK-Inform: Vegetables and Fruits” Oleksandr Khorev in a column on AgroTimes.
As of the first half of September 2023, most of the vegetables for the borscht set in Ukraine, which will be stored, have not yet been harvested. However, due to the weather conditions in spring and summer of this year, some increase in yield can be expected for the main items, averaging about 10%.
In most regions of Ukraine, the production volumes of vegetables for the borscht set, especially onions and carrots, which were traditionally grown in temporarily occupied territories, have increased this year. However, it should be noted that not only professional vegetable producers, but also newcomers have engaged in vegetable growing this year. As a result, it should not be expected that all the vegetables harvested in Ukraine this year will be of high quality.
Speaking of sales and prices, the beginning of the new season disappointed almost everyone, especially professional producers of vegetable products. The areas under cultivation increased, and from the very start of harvesting early varieties of vegetables, the supply immediately exceeded the demand. This situation persists to this day. Prices for most items of the borscht set are several times lower than last year. If we talk only about the first half of the fruit and vegetable season 2023/24, the leader in terms of price reduction is, of course, the bulb onion. Cabbage and carrots remain in second and third place in this rating.
Farmers are traditionally concerned about what the price of the borscht set vegetables will depend on throughout the season. As always, market prices will depend on the balance of supply and demand. As mentioned above, a large percentage of the borscht set vegetables, in some cases up to 50%, will be unsuitable for long-term storage. This means that until the New Year, there will be almost no problems with the supply of basic items of the borscht set on the domestic market of Ukraine, and there will also be no reasons for a significant increase in prices. However, from the beginning of spring 2024 and for the next 3-4 months, a shortage may be felt for almost all items of vegetables, except possibly potatoes.
Accordingly, with a high probability, in spring 2024, Ukraine will import all the vegetables for the borscht set. The exception may be potatoes, as over 95% of this crop in Ukraine is grown by households, and we do not see any serious problems with the harvest this year.
Traditionally, Poland is the main supplier of vegetables for the borscht set to Ukraine. As for greenhouse vegetables, Turkey has been and remains the main supplier of tomatoes and cucumbers to Ukraine, with a share of no less than 75%.
A decrease in demand can also be observed. Since the occupation of southern regions of Ukraine, consumption of seasonal vegetables in Ukraine has decreased, but at the same time, the number of main consumers of this product, namely women and children, has also decreased. As of today, according to UN data, there are more than 6.2 million people missing in Ukraine. Of course, this significantly affects the market.
Regarding the situation with greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers, as representatives of greenhouse complexes reported, the 2023 season proceeded according to the planned scenario and did not differ much from the previous one. Prices for their products significantly decreased only in August of this year when large volumes of cucumbers and tomatoes from open ground began to enter the market. According to our forecasts, prices for greenhouse vegetables will go up again from the second half of September of this year. The main factor that can influence the prices of these products will be the stability of the hryvnia exchange rate to foreign currencies, because from October to April, prices for greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers are formed exclusively based on prices for imported vegetables, since in the cold season, local producers practically do not grow produce due to expensive energy resources.