35% of Vegetables in Ukraine Are Lost Due to Improper Storage

Approximately 35% of the vegetables grown in Ukraine do not reach consumers due to spoilage during storage or transportation. This was reported by the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Vitaliy Koval, during a telethon.

This is reported by AgroReview

Vitaliy Koval emphasized that the enemy’s aggression has damaged agricultural infrastructure, particularly vegetable storage facilities. According to him, the main task is to restore and build new storage facilities, as this will help maintain vegetable prices and preserve the harvest produced by farmers.

Consequences of Infrastructure Destruction

The Minister highlighted that the availability of vegetable storage facilities is an important factor affecting prices after the harvest. If vegetables are harvested in September-October, they need to be stored; however, due to the war, many storage facilities have been destroyed or are located in occupied territories.

Koval provided data indicating that about 280 thousand tons of vegetable storage capacity across Ukraine have become unavailable. He recalled instances where storage facilities near Kyiv were burned at the beginning of the full-scale aggression. The Minister emphasized that addressing the issue of vegetable storage shortages in Ukraine is critically important for supporting the agricultural sector.

“Approximately 35% of the vegetables grown in Ukraine do not reach the consumer because they spoil during storage or transportation,” Koval noted.