A Dutch-supported analytical project is reshaping how Ukraine’s potato sector is understood by policymakers, investors and industry participants, as the country prepares for deeper integration into European agri-food markets.

The project, titled “Analysis of Strengths and Bottlenecks of Supply Chains of the Potato Sector of Ukraine”, is being carried out 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 under the Private Sector Development (PSD) programme of RVO. Its objective is to provide an objective, data-driven assessment of one of Ukraine’s most important yet least analysed crops.

Potatoes remain a staple of the Ukrainian food system, but the sector has long suffered from fragmented data, outdated assumptions and limited strategic coordination. For years, official statistics suggested annual production of around 20 million tonnes, a figure that industry representatives say did not reflect reality. According to UAPP, those figures have now been corrected, but the lack of reliable historical data continues to complicate policy design and investment decisions.

The timing of the project is critical. 2025 marks the final year of Ukraine’s State Program for the Development of Industrial Potato Growing 2020–2025, a programme that was effectively suspended shortly after its launch due to the full-scale war. While discussions are under way about extending state support, industry leaders argue that prolonging the programme without revising its goals and instruments would risk repeating past shortcomings.

“When I just started as Executive Director of UAPP, I realized that the current program for the development of industrial potato growing was ending and a new one needed to be written,” said Olha Samoilichenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Association of Potato Producers. “It became clear to me that there were no reliable, unbiased data that would justify the requirements of the next program.”

She added that while producers have accumulated substantial experience operating through crisis and war, and the agrarian arm of the Ministry of Economy is open to supporting the sector, there was no comprehensive picture of the current state of the industry or the barriers holding it back. “Such benchmarks should be set objectively, but expertly. This is where my search began, and whoever seeks always finds,” Samoilichenko said.

Cooperation in the potato sector has been identified as a priority area by the Dutch agricultural authorities in Ukraine. Beyond the widespread use of Dutch seed potatoes and technologies, the crop is seen as strategically important for food security and economic stability. Over recent years, several Dutch-supported initiatives have focused on strengthening professional potato production in Ukraine, with the current PSD project representing the most comprehensive analytical effort to date.

The study forms part of a broader KSE analytical framework examining the implications of EU integration across Ukrainian agri-food sectors. By analysing the potato value chain in depth, the project aims to identify structural weaknesses and growth opportunities that must be addressed if Ukrainian producers are to compete successfully in the European market.

What distinguishes the initiative, according to its organisers, is the depth of industry involvement. The Ukrainian potato sector has not been analysed at this level for more than a decade, and open-source data alone has proved insufficient. To address this, KSE researchers have systematically verified their findings with market participants, including seed companies, suppliers of fertilisers and crop protection products, machinery manufacturers, storage and post-harvest equipment suppliers, growers and processors.

Early results suggest that this approach is yielding tangible insights. KSE analysts have already conducted preliminary interviews, reviewed available datasets and developed initial hypotheses on the sector’s main bottlenecks. Five thematic focus groups have been convened, each bringing together UAPP members to discuss practical constraints affecting supply chain performance.

The findings from these sessions were presented by Maria Bogonos, Head of the Food and Land Use Research Center at KSE Agrocenter. According to the project team, each focus group served to verify or refine initial assumptions, identify real-world barriers and assess how those barriers affect supply chain mechanisms in practice.

Participation has increased with each successive meeting, reflecting what organisers describe as strong industry interest. Discussions routinely extended beyond two hours, underlining the relevance of the topics for producers and suppliers operating in a highly technical and risk-exposed segment of Ukrainian agriculture.

The project’s authors note that potatoes are often described by input suppliers as a “special crop”. While household potato growing remains widespread, industrial-scale production of consistent, high-quality potatoes requires sophisticated agronomy, modern equipment and tight coordination across the value chain.

Work on the report is continuing, with KSE Agrocenter currently revising draft materials. A first edition of the study will soon be circulated among sector representatives for further verification. Once finalised, the analysis is expected to inform future state support programmes, guide investment decisions and help stabilise domestic supply by reducing volatility in prices and imports.

For Ukrainian policymakers and international partners alike, the project aims to replace long-standing assumptions with a clearer, evidence-based understanding of a sector that remains central to the country’s food economy and its European ambitions.