Minister of Agricultural Policy Calls for Building Vegetable Storage Facilities to Preserve Harvests
The Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine, Vitaliy Koval, has urged businesses to invest in the creation of modern vegetable storage facilities. According to him, a significant reason for product losses is the lack of storage capacity, which leads to spoilage of the harvest and reduces its availability for consumers.
This is reported by AgroReview
Storage Issues for Vegetables and the Need for Investment
“One of the main reasons for the vegetable shortage is the lack of storage capacity. Overall, about 35% of Ukrainian vegetables do not reach consumers’ tables due to spoilage on the way,” Koval stated. He emphasized that to solve this problem, it is necessary to actively develop the network of vegetable storage facilities, as experts from the ministry estimate a shortfall of 1.1 million tons of capacity.
The Importance of Investment in Vegetable Storage Facilities
The minister stressed that the construction of vegetable storage facilities should be a business initiative, as it is an effective tool for stabilizing the agricultural sector. “This is a powerful means to support the stability of your business,” he noted. Using farmers as an example, Koval explained that storing the harvest in modern facilities would help avoid a decline in product quality and losses during sales.
“Imagine a farmer with 200 hectares of land who has harvested his crops. The lack of storage forces him to sell his products at minimal prices because he has nowhere to store them, and the quality of the product deteriorates,” Koval explained.
He added that every farmer should have the opportunity to store their harvest in their own or neighboring facilities, paying for the rental, to be able to sell the products at a favorable price at the right time. This will help reduce losses and increase farmers’ incomes.
According to the ministry, in March of this year, the need for an additional 340,000 tons of vegetable storage was assessed. It is also noted that in Ukraine, losses of fruit and vegetable products can reach 40-60% due to the lack of proper storage, which negatively impacts the economy of the sector.