Ukrainian Potato Institute - how science survived the occupation and continues to thrive
The Embassy supported the publication of the Methodology for determining the seed quality and post-harvest evaluation of the direct offspring of seed potatoes in Ukraine
Ukraine is among the largest potato producers in the world, but this crop is traditionally grown by the households (95% of the volume), while professional segment both table potato and processing is only 5%. However for Dutch-Ukrainian cooperation the potato sector remain the priority for many years with the strong focus on planting material, field machinery, storage technologies, equipment for post-harvesting and fine processing of potatoes. The instruments of the Dutch Government for the Dutch companies and their partners in Ukraine include the projects and programs for private sector development, demonstration of technologies and innovations, reconstruction and institutional capacity building. The Office of the Agricultural Counsellor at the Embassy in Kyiv supports the knowledge transfer and scientific and research activities in Ukrainian potato sector.
This was emphasized by Carolien Spaans, Agricultural Counsellor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, during a meeting at the Institute of Potato, Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences on 6th November.
The Potato Institute is located in the village of Nemishaeve near Kyiv, in February-March 2022 it was occupied by ruzzian troops for more than a month as its neighbourhood Bucha, Borodyanka, Irpin etc.
The friendly meeting for the Dutch representatives was organized by the Head of the Potato Institute Mykola Furdyga and the executive director of the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers (UAVK) Olha Samoilichenko.
During the visit of the Dutch guests, the employees of the Institute presented the Methodology for determining the seed quality and post-harvest evaluation of the direct offspring of seed potatoes, which was developed by the scientists of the Potato Institute in cooperation with specialists of other institutions. The publication of the methodology became possible with the support of Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine. The methodology was developed taking into account the provisions of the Executive Directives of the EU Commission, which corresponds to the course of creating uniform standards of product quality and the formation of the seed potato market with the possibility of export to other countries.
Potato production and processing in Ukraine in addition to challenges related to climate change, intense heat and lack of precipitation was greatly affected by the war: the destruction of Kakhovka dam and the occupation of the Southern regions of Ukraine, damage of the irrigation system, bombed storages, machinery and processing facilities, mining of the fields etc.
The participants of the meeting discussed a wide range of issues in the potato industry, namely: weather challenges faced by professional potato growers in 2024, yield, pricing features, phytosanitary status and differences in seed potato certification schemes of Ukraine and the EU. Particular attention was paid to the issues of potential cooperation between the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers (UAVK) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine. Also, the achievements of Ukrainian potato farming, obtained with the assistance of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands within the framework of already implemented joint projects of previous years, were highlighted and analysed.
Currently, Ukrainian professional potato producers are already deeply integrated into European potato growing in terms of methods and techniques of field work and laboratory research, planting material, equipment, and plant protection products.
The executive director of the Ukrainian Association of Potato Growers (UAVK) Olha Samoilichenko emphasized that now Ukrainian professional potato growers are already deeply integrated into European potato growing in terms of methods and techniques of field work and laboratory research, planting material, equipment, plant protection products, including biological origin . At the same time, a number of problems related to the training of agricultural engineers in the potato field remain unresolved, namely, providing students with access to modern potato technology during their studies.
The researches of the Potato Institute demonstrated to the guests the laboratory of microclonal propagation, biotechnology, primary seed production and instrumental diagnostics. Carolien Spaans, got acquainted with all the stages of creating new varieties of potatoes from micro-plants, micro-bulbs to mini-bulbs. She was also shown all the stages of laboratory analysis for post-harvest evaluation, including enzyme immunoassay.
According to the director of the Potato Institute, Mykola Furdyga, despite the fact that post-harvest evaluation is not mandatory in Ukraine, professional potato producers regularly send samples for testing in the Institute's laboratory for infection with viral diseases. This allows them control and maintain the proper quality of grown potatoes. Mr. Furdyga also noted that the Potato Institute is actively developing drought- and heat-resistant potato varieties, high-starch varieties, and varieties with excellent taste qualities.
The participants of the meeting tasted chips from potato varieties of Ukrainian selection: Sofia, Solomiya, Fanatka, Melania, including from the Khortytsia variety - an unusual colour for chips without the use of dyes.
Carolien Spaans thanked for the invitation and the interesting meeting and emphasized that the Embassy of the Netherlands will continue to support the Ukrainian potato industry and is open for cooperation and initiatives from the Dutch companies and their Ukrainian counterparts.
Source Agrobusiness.com.ua
Ukrainian potato growing - October update
The newly launched monthly analysis on the development of the potato market in Ukraine from the well-known potato market expert, Dmytro Levichev, director of Agrolines LLC.
- The potato harvesting season was in full swing in October, as it started later, not in August, as usual, but only in September.
- This year results show critical decrease in yield combined with the deteriorated of the quality of potato.
- In October the increase of potato prices for the consumer was almost 3 times more than the price of last year (UAH 30-35 per kg).
- Along with the extreme local price increase, active import from Poland and the Baltic countries started to Ukraine.
- Ukrainian potato growers, in addition to current challenges and war have to fight for their harvest in the fields and now they have also entered into fierce price competition with imported products.
- The crop failure was caused by the summer drought, when potatoes stopped growing due to high temperatures.
- Quality: potato tubers are damaged first by drought and then got mechanical damage by soil lumps that formed from the lack of precipitation and irrigation.
- This season also recorded a large deficit and need for modern professional agricultural machinery for harvesting vegetables. The question of seasonal rental of equipment is rather controversial, but has become important.
- In October, Ukrainian potato growers actively discussed the challenges of the 2024 season and methods of solving them - conferences, seminars, etc. took place.
- The issue of the insufficient number of potato warehouses and professional warehouse equipment is high in agenda.
- A new challenge for the 2025 season for potato growers is to ensure sufficient quantity of planting material, which is complicated by a significant increase in prices caused by the 2024 seed potato shortage.
- From the positive aspects of the industry in October, it is to be noted that the situation is much better in those farms that clearly adhere to the technologies of growing potatoes, namely, the use of professional equipment, sufficient irrigation of plantings, perform high-quality pesticide protection and nutrition systems, carefully conduct harvesting with high-tech units, and further storage of potatoes in specially equipped warehouses.
- In October, UAVK (Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers) got new members, growers, representative of the processing industry and sellers of equipment.