Проблеми та перспективи розвитку ринку картоплі в Україні з врахуванням зональної спеціалізації галузі

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problems and prospects of development of the potato market in Ukraine taking into account the zonal specialization of the industry. The topic is relevant because Ukraine is one of the five major potato producers in the world, and most regions of the country specialize in the production of this crop to ensure high demand for it both in the country and abroad. Potatoes are used not only as food but also as a source of income for those farms that grow and process it. Prospects for the development of the potato industry depend not only on the production capacity of agricultural producers, but also on the ability to breed new varieties, using the latest technologies of potato growing and tillage, and ultimately on the conditions of storage and delivery of potatoes. The aim of the work is to identify the peculiarities of the development of the potato market in Ukraine taking into account the zonal characteristics of the industry. The following methods were used for the study: statistical methods of research, methods of induction, deduction, synthesis, analysis, comparison, and tabular and graphical methods were used to display information. As a result of the analysis for 2017–2020, it was found that the volume of potato harvest has an increasing rate and this rate exceeds the growth rate of the area for potatoes. Thus, it is concluded that there is a potential for productivity growth. The volume of potato production and consumption determines the dynamics of crop import and export. During the analyzed period, potato imports increased, while exports decreased due to the fact that Ukrainian potatoes have a low level of competitiveness in foreign markets primarily because of high production costs and high sales prices. Taking into account the zonal specialization of potato production, it was found out that until 2011 Polissya had the best potential, but in the following years there was a re-specialization and the forest-steppe regions became the main producers. Thus, the results of the study have the practical importance and allowed to identify promising regions for specialization in potato production in Ukraine.