Agricultural Producers in the Odessa Region are expanding the acreage of vegetable crops, but there are several obstacles.
This was revealed by the Director of the Department of Agricultural Policy of the Odessa Regional State Administration, Alla Stoyanova, to the "Ukrainian News Service."
"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," she said.
The harvest of tomatoes 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.
"Today, the development of vegetable growing means filling the budgets of communities with taxes, providing growth opportunities for enterprises, stable income in the face of climate challenges and water scarcity, creating new jobs for the population, and ultimately strengthening the economy of our region," emphasized Alla Stoyanova.
