OREANDA-NEWS. March 07, 2013. Good harvests and high quality of domestic vegetables give chance to increase the volumes of their selling abroad and to decrease improt volumes. So, over the recent years import of vegetable products has signficinatly fell, notably in 2012 – by 40% as compared to 2011.

 Instead the vegetable export upped over the mentioned period by almost 20%. This was informed by Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Prysyazhniuk in the course of visiting the largest vegetable storage of Europe in Martusivka village.

“The highest demand of Ukrainian vegetables is observed on the part of nearest neighbours – Russia, Moldova, Georgia, Belarus. For instance, in 2011 the export of onions amounted 2.7 thousand tons, in 2012 – already 19.2 thousand tons. At this, its import was cut. The same situation is with cabbage. In 2011 there were exported 2.7 thousand tons, in 2012 – already 4.7 thousand tons. At this, if in 2011 the import exceeded export by 17.2 thousand tons, in 2012 – vice versa, we exported cabbage by 783 tons more than we imported,” Mykola Prysyazhniuk informed.

Moreover, the head of the ministry noted certain success in potato direction. Last year the agricultural producers gathered 23 million tons of this culture.

“Owing to increase of domestic production and creating conditions for storing, the import of potato is cut. If in 2011 it totaled 23.8 thousand tons, in 2012 – 6.3 thousand tons. We import mostly from Poland, Holland, Germany, France – the countries where the production technologies are very high. At this, if in 2011 the import of potatoes exceeded export by 12.3 thousand tons, in 2012 – vice versa, we exported by 897 tons more than we imported,” Mykola Prysyazhniuk expained.

According to the Minister, just taking this culture as an example we can demonstrate why we need storages. 

“So, for consumption needs Ukraine spends around 6 million tons of potatoes per year, certain part goes to food processing. The remaining part is fed by villagers to the livestock or it is spoilt. Building of modern storages will enable to effectively preserve the grown yield of vegetables during the whole season up to the next harvest time,” Mykola Prysyazhniuk summed up.