In 2025, Ukraine imported 123,600 tons of potatoes, which is 2.4 times more than in 2024; the cost of purchasing them increased 2.5 times to $66.29 million, according to the State Customs Service.
Poland (37.1%), Egypt (13.56%), and the Netherlands (11.58%) became the leaders in potato supplies to Ukraine.
In January-December 2025, Ukraine imported 138,410 tons of potatoes, which is 5.3 times (+431.3%) more than in 2024, when 26,050 tons were imported into the country, according to the State Customs Service.
According to published statistics, in monetary terms, potato imports increased 4.9 times (+391.9%) to $74.82 million compared to $15.21 million a year earlier. The main imports came from Poland (38.2%), Egypt (14.1%), and the Netherlands (10.8%).
Potato exports from Ukraine during the same period amounted to 2.38 thousand tons, which is 11.2% less than in 2024 (2.68 thousand tons). At the same time, despite the physical reduction in export volumes, in monetary terms, the sale of Ukrainian potatoes abroad was more profitable and brought in 3.1% ($584 thousand) more revenue than in 2024 ($566 thousand). The main buyers were Moldova (60.2% of all exports), Azerbaijan (35.4%), and Georgia (1.2%).
As reported, Ukraine had a poor potato harvest in the 2024 season due to drought, extremely high temperatures, and a lack of seed material.
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky noted in a podcast by the Center for Economic Strategies that the 2025 vegetable harvest in Ukraine is sufficient and even larger than last year, so no shortage is expected in this sector.
Commenting on Ukraine’s potato imports in 2024-2025, Mykola Furdyga, director of the Potato Institute, explained that this record volume of imports was caused by the unusual weather conditions in 2024. Therefore, the state was forced to import potatoes to meet domestic food needs. European countries were eager to supply Ukraine with their products due to their attractive prices. At the same time, potatoes from Egypt did not dominate the market but occupied their traditional niche in the off-season (February-March – IF-U). In addition, Ukraine traditionally imports seed potatoes from leading breeding companies in the European Union.
Furdyga noted that since the beginning of the war, there has been a trend in Ukraine toward reducing potato cultivation in households and expanding production areas for this crop in farms and even in agricultural holdings. He explained this trend by the departure of the population from villages abroad and mobilization.
In Ukraine, the area under potatoes in the 2025 season increased by 25% compared to last year, and thanks to favorable weather conditions, the yield was also a quarter higher, so it can be assumed that the harvest of Ukrainians’ second bread is 50% higher than last year, said Mykola Furdyga, director of the Potato Institute.
“It is very easy to calculate how much potatoes we produce. If the average farm price is 8 UAH/kg, and last year it was 20 UAH/kg, then I think we have 50% more production: production areas have expanded by 25% and the harvest has increased by 25% thanks to weather conditions,“ he said at the conference ”The state of development of the potato industry and the potential of processing enterprises in Volyn.”
Furdyga noted that Ukraine does not need such a volume of grown potatoes even in the case of deep processing (into chips and starch – IF-U).
Commenting on Ukraine’s import of more than 123,000 tons of potatoes in the 2024-2025 marketing year, the scientist explained that this record volume of sales abroad was caused by the unusual weather conditions of 2024 (Ukraine experienced a “record” drought – IF-U). Therefore, the state was forced to import potatoes to meet domestic food needs. European countries willingly supplied Ukraine with products due to their attractive price. At the same time, potatoes from Egypt did not dominate the market, but occupied their traditional niche in the off-season (February-March – IF-U), he noted.
In addition, Ukraine traditionally imports seed potatoes from leading breeding companies in the European Union, the director of the Potato Institute recalled.
Furdyga stated that since the beginning of the war, there has been a trend in Ukraine toward a reduction in potato cultivation in households and an expansion of production areas for this crop in farms and even in agricultural holdings. He explained this trend by the departure of the population from villages abroad and mobilization.
“For example, in Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr regions, there are villages where households used to plant 30 hectares of potatoes, and now if they plant 2 hectares, that’s still good,” he said, adding that potato cultivation is becoming unprofitable and labor-intensive for households.
Furdyga estimated the share of domestic potato varieties in national production at around 10-12%, given that they are mainly grown by small producers and households.
“Of course, we would like to have a larger market share, but this is the situation at the moment. I can only boast that in the 2025 season, domestic varieties were grown by the farms of Biotech Ltd. and Brovary Kartoplya Ltd. in the Kyiv region and STOV Desna in the Chernihiv region. In total, they propagated domestic varieties for further sale on an area of about 300 hectares,” said the director of the Potato Institute.
As reported, in 2024, due to unfavorable weather conditions and, in particular, drought, Ukraine’s potato harvest was 18% lower, i.e., by 4 million tons, to approximately 17.36 million tons, compared to 21.36 million tons in 2023.
Ukraine imported 123,140 tons of potatoes in January-October 2025, which is 5.1 times more than in the same period last year, according to the State Customs Service.
According to published statistics, in monetary terms, potato imports increased 4.8 times, to $66.086 million, compared to $13.69 million a year ago. The main imports came from Poland (36.9% of supplies in monetary terms), Egypt (13.7%), and the Netherlands (11.6%).
At the same time, potato exports from Ukraine decreased by 13.4% to 2.14 thousand tons during the reporting period, while in monetary terms, sales were more profitable and brought in 2.4% ($521 thousand) more revenue than last year. The main buyers of Ukrainian potatoes were Moldova (58.5% of all exports), Azerbaijan (38.6%), and Singapore (0.6%).
In October 2025, Ukraine imported 359 tons of potatoes, which is 11.4 times (4,090 tons) less than in the same period last year, while exports increased 4.6 times (269 tons).
As reported, Ukraine had a poor potato harvest in the 2024 season due to drought, extremely high temperatures, and a shortage of seed material.
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky noted in a podcast by the Center for Economic Strategies that in 2025, the vegetable harvest in Ukraine will be sufficient and even greater than last year, so no shortage is expected in this sector.
Agroholding Continental Farmers Group has started harvesting potatoes in the Ternopil and Lviv regions, where 2,100 hectares are allocated for cultivation, according to the agroholding’s press service.
“Harvesting is already underway in both regions where the company grows crops: in Lviv region, they started with chip potatoes, and in Ternopil region, with early seed varieties. In addition, Continental will also harvest food varieties. In total, the company will harvest tubers from an area of 2.1 thousand hectares this season,” the agricultural holding said, adding that potato harvesting will continue until the end of October.
Continental also said that in 2025, it purchased new machinery and equipment for potato production worth more than EUR 1.85 million. This includes Ukraine’s first self-propelled four-row third-generation potato harvester with a capacity of 460 hp, a trailer-transloader, a receiving hopper, an optical sorter, a potato picker, and equipment for calibrating and storing products.
As reported, Continental allocated 2,130 hectares for potatoes in the 2025 season, of which 60% are chip varieties, 24% are table varieties, and 16% are seed plots. The agricultural holding explained the 13% increase in the area under this crop compared to last year by the growth in demand for table potatoes and additional demand for the production of chip potatoes.
The Mriya agricultural holding and CFG, united under the name Continental Farmers Group, have been operating as a single business since November 2018, when Mriya signed an agreement with international investor Salic UK to sell its assets.
Salic was founded in 2012. Its sole shareholder is the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which invests in agricultural and livestock production.
The agricultural holding Continental Farmers Group has started planting potatoes as part of the spring 2025 sowing campaign, and planting work is underway in fields in Ternopil and Lviv regions, the company’s press service reports.
According to the report, in 2025, 2130 hectares will be allocated for potatoes, of which 60% are chip varieties, 24% are table varieties, and 16% of the area will be occupied by seed plots. Continental explains the partial 13% increase in potato acreage compared to last year, in particular, by the increased demand for table potatoes and additional demand for chip potatoes, which the company works with under a contractual model with guaranteed purchases.
Continental noted that the early spring warming allowed the company to prepare the soil for potatoes in time and enter the planting season optimally.
“The weather conditions so far give us every reason to be optimistic about potatoes this season. If they continue to favor us, we plan to complete planting the main areas by the end of April. Our main goal is to deliver consistently high yields and quality products that our partners and consumers expect. To be confident in our results, we have all the necessary technical and technological resources,” emphasized Konstantin Shityuk, COO of Continental Farmers Group.
The company’s key innovations in potato growing technology this year include the expanded use of precision farming tools and fertilization based on agrochemical analysis. New cultivation protocols were also introduced based on the results of 2024 research to optimize the disease protection scheme.
In total, in 2025, Continental allocated 96 thousand hectares for spring crops and 84.9 thousand hectares for winter rape, wheat and barley.
Mriya Agro Holding and CFG, united under the name Continental Farmers Group, have been operating as a single business since November 2018, when Mriya entered into an agreement with international investor Salic UK to sell its assets.
Salic was founded in 2012. Its sole shareholder is the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which invests in agricultural and livestock production.
