Although agricultural producers in the Odessa region are expanding the acreage of vegetable crops, there are a couple of obstacles, says the Director of the Department of Agricultural Policy of the Odessa Regional State Administration, Alla Stoyanova. "We have moved to the second place in Ukraine after Poltava in terms of melon crops and watermelons. We have also made rapid progress in vegetable crops, and today we are among the top ten regions."
The tomato harvest is already in full swing. Out of nearly 14,000 hectares of vegetable crops, 3,200 hectares are dedicated to tomatoes. Stoyanova noted that compared to the previous year, the area under vegetables has increased by 1,000 hectares, and this expansion is primarily related to tomato cultivation.
According to Stoyanova, the main challenges for vegetable growing in the Odessa region are the shortage of labor force and funding. Despite state credit programs and donor assistance from foreign partners, resources are still insufficient. Specifically, due to the Russian embargo on Ukrainian food exports, Odessa's agrarians are unable to access the funds necessary to restart their operations.
Source: odessa-journal.com
