More Than 12 Million Ukrainians Grow Potatoes for Their Own Consumption

The findings come from a study conducted by the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers (UAPP), with support from the Government of the Netherlands.

The regional analysis shows that potato cultivation by households is most widespread in the central and western parts of the country:

• Central Ukraine — 49% of surveyed households;
• Western Ukraine — 40%;
• Southeastern Ukraine — 27%;
• Kyiv — 23%.

The practice is distributed relatively evenly across age groups:

• 15–35 years — 40%;
• 36–54 years — 36%;
• 55–64 years — 35%;
• 65 years and older — 36%.

«The respondents’ age has only a marginal impact. The decisive factor is the place of residence: in rural areas, nearly every second household (58%) grows potatoes, compared to only 17% in cities. The share of self-sufficient households is highest in central Ukraine (40%) and western Ukraine (33%), while the lowest shares are recorded in Kyiv (17%) and southeastern Ukraine (15%),» the researchers concluded.