[ad_1]
As a result, residents prepared their own food, bought semi-finished products, or tidied up homes. However, homemade dishes made with potatoes during the quarantine did not appear to be popular because the vegetable was not in high demand, although its price had reached record lows, according to the report.
In supermarkets you could buy a kilo of potatoes for 7 or 8 cents. According to the Department of Statistics, last year potatoes fell in price by 20.2 percent.
However, this happened not only because restaurants and cafes that fed Lithuanians zeppelins and potato pancakes closed. Zofija Cironkienė, director of the Lithuanian Vegetable Producers Association, said this could have been influenced by both higher potato yields and stagnant exports.
According to the director of the association, during the first quarantine, when the price of production fell sharply and sales fell, producers found themselves in an unenviable position.
“Usually the most intensive trade in vegetables on farms with modern storage facilities takes place between February and April,” said Z. Cironkienė. – In autumn, the prices of vegetables are lower in the market and the supply is higher due to competition from producers who do not have modern storage facilities or who, for one reason or another, have grown products in poor condition .
Furthermore, potato exports are usually slow at the time, and only those countries where the harvest was affected by adverse natural conditions that year are interested in vegetables.
The demand for stored potatoes has only been active since mid-January, and especially when we return to the international fresh fruit and vegetable exhibition in Berlin in February, after which the growers finish exporting the surplus products to the Lithuanian market in March. -April “.
According to data from the Statistics Department, last year’s potato harvest was similar to that of the previous year: 331.8 thousand tons were grown. tons of potatoes (in 2019 – 333.7 thousand tons).
In 2018 and 2017, the potato harvest was much more modest: 296 thousand. and 237 thousand. tons, and especially successful for potato producers was 2016, when 351 thousand. tons of potatoes.
Due to the repeated pandemic and higher-than-normal potato yields, their price hit record lows. However, not only her, but also other fresh vegetables became cheaper in chain stores. For example, a kilogram of washed carrots and beets already costs 7-8 cents per share, cabbage – 5 cents.
“It is good that during the last quarantine the sales of vegetables in the retail chains developed without problems, and carrots and onions were bought even more than usual,” said Z. Cironkienė. “Only they have not increased purchases of cabbage, beets and potatoes, apparently they do not like to do them at home.”
After the first quarantine in spring, with the start of early potato sales, their price increased but did not reach normal levels. “And since the middle of the summer, the producers, fearing the resumption of the quarantine, tried to sell as many potatoes as possible, not to store them,” said the head of the association. “There were no exports, which generated a surplus in the domestic market, which led to such a low price.”
Prices and sales, which fell to record lows in the spring, are not recovering so far. About 50 percent. Lithuanian potato growers can export. However, only now have exports recovered: last December, producers began to receive demand from Ukraine, but in 2020 prices were no longer affected.
Z. Cironkienė expects that in February we will see an increase in potato prices.
By the way, Lithuanians tend to consume more potatoes than they grow. For example, in 2019, 337 thousand. tons of potatoes, and consumed – 371 thousand. heaps.
In 2018, 344 thousand tons were consumed in Lithuania. tons of potatoes, and in 2017 – 336 thousand. heaps. In previous years, potatoes were in higher demand in Lithuania. For example, in 2016, up to 416 thousand of them were consumed. tons, and in 2015 – 442 thousand. heaps.
According to data from the Department of Statistics, last year 52.8 thousand tons of goods were exported from Lithuania. tons of potatoes (for 4.2 million euros) and 95.3 thousand tons were imported. tons of potatoes (5.6 million euros).
Lithuania exports the largest quantity of potatoes to Latvia (8.6 thousand tons), Poland (3.5 thousand tons) and Hungary (1.3 thousand tons). By the way, most potatoes also come to our country from neighboring Latvia, in addition to Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.
By the way, according to data from the Department of Statistics, last year long-lived cucumbers, grapefruits, tangerines, avocados and oranges also became cheaper in Lithuania.
At that time the price of grapes, lemons, melons, bananas and cauliflower rose.
It is strictly forbidden to use the information published by DELFI on other websites, in the media or elsewhere, or to distribute our material in any way without consent, and if consent has been obtained, it is necessary to cite DELFI as the source.
[ad_2]
