European integration of Ukrainian agriculture: potato sector

At the same time there is huge cultural and historical difference between EU and Ukraine -  thousands of households  and individuals in Ukraine grow potatoes as well as other vegetables on their private land plots for their own consumption and reproduction. The explanation for this phenomenon lies in Ukraine's tragic past, in particular, collectivization initiated by Soviets, which caused famine and deaths due to food shortages.

With the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, many Ukrainians realized once again that having your own food production in private gardens / kitchen gardens, preserving and storing food for winter can literally save many lives. When being in occupation, with broken supply chains and when many food warehouses have been destroyed on the first days of invasion, the Ukrainian experience of local food security at war times is something to learn from.

Therefore, a situation in which agricultural production in Ukraine is a business exclusively for professional farmers will be a signal of stabilization of security and economic situation in the country, and not earlier.

This mass production of agricultural crops in backyards in Ukraine leads to the understanding of records of Ukrainian statistics. This in details described in the article Ukrainian potato production is much less than the declared 21 million tonne

Sector unites for further development

At the same time, professional producers, united in industry associations, are working to increase yields, quality, and introduce processing in Ukraine.

Ukraine is a country with large and diverse territory, different climatic zones and soil conditions. Different parts of Ukraine have specific conditions for growing potatoes.

The Ukrainian Potato Growers Association on the basis of the institute of Potato Production launched the Discussion Club for Ukrainian producers and suppliers to the industry. It provides an opportunity for the exchange of experience, sharing best practices, and training for professional potato producers and those who are just on the path to professional potato production. The organizers share recordings of the meetings in order to maximally facilitate the transition of all potato producers to a professional level. The partner of Potato Discussion Club is Agrico Ukraine.

Дискусійний клуб картоплярів - YouTube page of potato discussion club Ukraine (in Ukrainian)

Dutch-Ukrainian cooperation

Dutch-Ukrainian cooperation in potato has a long history: a number of Dutch business are active in Ukraine and the Dutch Government funds the projects that support capacity building and technology transfer in the potato sector. From 2022 the new program for reconstruction of Ukraine (UPF) was launched for Dutch companies and their partners.

After Lviv conference that was held in Lviv this year in April it was visible that the bilateral cooperation between sector associations is crucial for efficient dialogue and EU integration processes of Ukraine.

Visit to the Netherlands

Olga Samiolichenko, executive director of Association shared the results and observations of the meetings in the Netherlands. The similarities and differences of Ukrainian and Dutch potato sectors have been observed during the visit to the Netherlands, as well as the best practices to be copied and adopted for Ukraine.

The Netherlands is the worldwide leader of seed potato supply. The Dutch potato sector operate on limited areas and with shortage of workers.

According to statistics, Ukraine is listed as one of the largest potato producers in the world - 21 million tons. However, professionally produced potatoes that officially enter the market, are processed, and are officially registered as seed material amount to just under 0.5 million tons.

With support of the Office of the Dutch Agricultural Counsellor in Ukraine a program of the visit of representatives of Ukrainian Potato Growers Association to the Potato centre of the Netherlands – Emmeloord, was organized in June.

Special thanks to Cor van Veldhuijsen, Managing Director of Agrofoodcluster who provided the outstanding support for organization of the visit, scheduling and accompanying the delegation to the meetings in the Netherlands. 

The Ukrainian delegation visited Agrico Office and potato quality control laboratory of AGRICO QUALITY CENTER, NAK Dutch General Inspection service for  Agricultural Seeds and Seed Potatoes), TOLSMA/GRISNICH Group, AGROFOODCLUSTER, Dutch Farmers – potato growers: Jaap de Zeeuw, Gert Jan van Tilburg and Erwin Overgoor.

Irrigation is a key for the good yield

Irrigation is the only condition for a good yield and high-quality potatoes “I’ll start with irrigation, because now it is the basis of Ukraine’s food security. Using the example of the Netherlands, I want to convey to everyone who doesn’t understand yet – every drop of water is transformed into delicious, high-quality potatoes through the incredible work of farmers. And it doesn’t matter at all on which soil it is grown – Ukrainian or Dutch,” – Olga Samoilichenko.

Why is irrigation of potato fields so important in Ukraine and the Netherlands?

Despite the moderate favorable climate, proximity to the North Sea and acceptable rainfall, every potato producer in the Netherlands uses irrigation. Every year certain stages of potato plant development require irrigation. Without exceptions. Dutch government and local authorities understand the importance of irrigation for agricultural production and support farmers that do not experience any obstacles.

Technically, irrigation is mostly done with irrigation coil pipe. However, this does not change the main point: no irrigation - no yield and no quality potato.

Using irrigation makes the Dutch yield of seed potato  50-60 t/ha. The yield of tables potato is 80-90, and sometimes up to 100 t/ha.

In Ukraine introduction of irrigation in potato growing has positive developments but at the same time many obstacles. This issue is very complex. «Our task is to convince the opponents of irrigation that irrigation is not only essential for successful and stable potato production but also the component of food security», Olga Samoilichenko. states.

Currently, approximately 10-15% of professional producers in Ukraine use irrigation for potato production. The vast majority use drip irrigation and front sprinklers. For certain types of soil and field with complext layout the irrigation coil pipes are used.

The introduction of irrigation makes potato production more expensive, but it allows for increased yields. Currently, average potato yield in Ukraine without irrigation is 25-27 t/ha. This year due to regular rains it is 34-35 t/ha. With irrigation the yield is 45 - 50 t/ha.

Hopefully in the nearest time we can pass through the issue of  availability and focus on quality of water for irrigation. Thus irrigation is the basis for stable potato production for Ukraine in view of climate change and economic challenges.

The scale of agro production in Ukraine and in the Netherlands varies a lot

The price for 1 ha of land in the Netherlands is 200 thousand Euro. Thus the average potato producer has 50 ha land plot for potato production yearly. 

The producers with more than 100 ha of potato are considered big, and with more than 200 ha – large scale producers. In Ukraine the scale is absolutely different, however the quality-quantity ration is the core for comparison.

In Ukraine, the land market for legal entities opened in January 2024. Currently, the average cost of 1 hectare of agricultural land is 1200 EURO. However, the highest prices are observed in the western regions of Ukraine (up to 2700 EURO/ha).

The vast majority of potato producers work on rented fields, some are gradually buying land.

The average area of ​​potato cultivation among enterprises participating in the potato producers' association as of 2025 is approximately 180 hectares. However, there are enterprises in Ukraine that grow potatoes on areas of 700, 1,000, and even more than 2,000 hectares.

Quality and crop rotation

Potatoes in the Netherlands are grown in a crop rotation every three years, the most common crops - predecessors are wheat, onions and bulb flowers, in particular, lilies. Potato growers in the Netherlands usually also grow onions, which is good for crop rotation and profitable commercial crop.

Technologies at all stages are very similar, although involve the use of different machinery. Thus, crops that deplete the soil and reduce potato yields in the Netherlands are excluded from crop rotation. The Dutch crop rotation model is economically feasible and efficient.

In Ukraine, wheat and other grains are traditionally used for crop rotation in potato production.

At the same time, uncontrolled potato production in Ukraine has partly caused the quarantine status of Ukrainian fields to prevent the export of fresh potatoes to EU countries. The creation of zones free from quarantine organisms in accordance with EU requirements will take some time. Therefore, Ukrainian farmers are currently focusing on the development of processing and the creation of value-added products.

Cooperation between farmers

Contrary to Ukraine, the Dutch farmers have high level of collaboration, often without formal  agreements. Due to the limited land and high phytosanitary requirements, farmers exchange land plots. Everything happens at the level of oral agreements, there are no problems. Exchanging land with neighbors is mutually beneficial. No one wants to lose such an opportunity because of a one-time benefit, which, for example, can be obtained by violating an oral agreement.

In Ukraine such exchange of land plots happen very rarely, latterly several cases took place during demining of the field, but such exchanges are more exceptions than the rule.

At the same this this is the experience that can be beneficial for small Ukrainian farmers, especially to improve crop rotation practices.

Another practice to borrow from the Dutch farmers is  when neighboring farmers harvest together, taking turns at each other's farms. And it is quite common for Dutch potato farmers to provide neighbors with storage facilities for storing their crops.

Such abstention from cooperation among Ukrainian agricultural producers is sometimes difficult for European partners to understand. However, the root of understanding this phenomenon also lies in the Soviet past and the forced creation of collective farms. The obvious advantages of cooperation are currently stimulating the creation of production and service cooperatives in Ukraine.

One of the examples of successful cooperation is a starch cluster created in the western regions of Ukraine with processing company and farmers – suppliers of raw materials (CPG).

However, to achieve long-term success, cooperatives need financial support—both at the start-up stage and for expansion and implementation of modern technologies. Public and private funding programs can greatly facilitate access to resources and contribute to sustainable development.

Human resources shortage is an issue in the Netherlands and in Ukraine

Human resources are the most expensive component in production cost. The labor cost in the Netherlands varies from 22 to 30 euros per hour. Therefore, the number of employees is always minimal and limited to co-owners and their relatives. Almost all the Dutch farms are family owned and operated.

Manual labor in the field is replaced by machinery. The farm owner is involved in all stages of production and had knowledge in all technological processed: from driving the field machinery, repair and spare parts up to storage controllers and post harvesting processing lines. In the everyday work outfit Dutch farmers look like regular farm workers which is a big contract to Ukraine.

Ukraine's cheap and highly skilled labor force would have been a significant investment and business advantage until recently. However, three and a half years of full-scale war, a large number of internally displaced persons, mobilization, and high human losses have led to a sharp labor shortage in all sectors of economy.

And while the Netherlands is cutting back on manual labor due to high costs, in Ukraine it is due to a shortage of workers.

The practice which can be highly useful in Ukraine in view if critical shortage of personnel due to mobilization and war, is  engaging of youth of the age 13+. In Ukraine, this approach is viewed through the strict prism of preventing child labor. However in reality this is good carrier orientation opportunity for the young people, the time to gain skills and practical knowledge, and of course to get financial literacy while earning money. Dutch students are also actively involved through all year round at the farms as far of their practical training programs.

«As a scientist and a teacher I can state with full confidence that engagement of last year schoolers and students for farm work is a wise way of highly developed agrarian countries with many years of positive results», says Olga Samoilichenko.

Widely spread application of precision farming technologies and artificial intelligence

Each producer visited by the delegation has the latest ecorobot sprayer Ecorobotix, which sprays weeds pointwise from a distance of up to 6-7 cm. Each producer knows the composition of the soil in the fields. Of course, this is a significant investment, but in the conditions of the ban on the use of many harmful chemicals, especially herbicides, it is a way not to lose yield.

In Ukraine in the conditions of active war it is not a time to expect private investments in smart farming technologies.

Instead, farmers who invested in such technologies before 2022 face a number of problems, such as blocking the GPS signal during air alarms by electronic welfare, the inability to use agricultural drones in areas close to war zones, etc.

 The development and support of the potato industry is not only of strategic importance for ensuring food security in Ukraine, but also, taking into account the long-standing cooperation with the Netherlands, is a sector for further development of a mutually beneficial partnership in the implementation of Dutch technologies in Ukraine.

Potato Europe 2025

The delegation of potato sector from Ukraine will be visiting PotatoEurope 2025. We hope these materials will contribute to the better understanding and development of cooperation between Dutch and Ukrainian potato growers and producers.