Deputy Minister: We have deflation in vegetables, the harvest is better than last year

This year, Ukraine is not expected to face a shortage of vegetables, with a sufficient harvest and even more than last year. As a result, prices are expected to drop significantly compared to 2024. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky .

"This year, I think consumers are happier, we see the prices [...]. We have deflation in terms of vegetable factors," Vysotsky said in the podcast "What's Up with the Economy?".

According to him, the whole so-called borscht set (potatoes, onions, cabbage, beets, carrots) is more affordable.

"We can see it now in the prices - in some items they are half as much as they were last year. The harvest is better, less affected by negative factors," said the Deputy Minister.

According to official data, potato production in 2025 is expected to reach 18 million tons, although expert estimates of the real market are about 10 million tons (minus seed, potatoes for animal feed, and waste due to spoilage).

"This year is probably not the best year for potatoes for producers, but it is definitely a good year for consumers and for the entire vegetable group as well," Vysotsky added .

Most major grains and oilseeds are expected to produce either similar or slightly higher volumes than last year. The exceptions are soybeans and sugar beets, which are expected to decline due to a decrease in acreage.

The expected beet harvest is about 10 million tons. This is about 20% less than last year (13 million tons).

The forecast for total grain production for this year is about 59 million tons. For comparison, last year 56 million tons were harvested, which means a slight increase (by about 3-5%).

The wheat harvest is about 22 million tons (possibly up to 22.5 million tons), which is the same as last year. This is more than three times the domestic consumption of 6 million tons.

The barley harvest is 5.3 mln tons, which is also the same as last year.

The preliminary forecast for the corn harvest is 30 million tons. Gross production is expected to grow by about 10% (or slightly more) compared to last year, when it was about 27 million tons.

"This year we plan to harvest the most corn. That is, the preliminary forecast is 30 million tons. Why do I emphasize that it is preliminary? Corn harvesting is actively underway, so we have not actually crossed the equator yet," said the Deputy Minister .

Domestic consumption of corn is about 6 million tons, so possible exports could reach 24 million tons.

As for oilseeds, globally, with the exception of soybeans, harvest figures are not significantly different from those of 2024.

• According to the Kyiv School of Economics think tank, the war has reduced the period of "low" potato prices from 10 months to two to four months.