Towards the end of July, potatoes will cost 4-5 lei a kilogram, as against 9-10 lei at present, the chairman of the Association of Potato Producers anticipated. Petru Iliev has told IPN that the potato harvest will be by at least 30% higher than last year.
The potatoes sold now at the market are imported or are from the national producers that have early potatoes. Immediately after the large growers supply potatoes on the market, the prices will fall to under 5 lei a kilogram, Petru Iliev projected.
He also said that the recent heavy rain has negative effects on potatoes as well. Owing to the high level of moisture in soil, there is a shortage of oxygen and white spots appear on potatoes. This can lead to the infection of the bulbs.
As regards the rotten potatoes at stalls, Petru Iliev said they were harvested incorrectly. The producers hoped to sell them quickly, but they went rotten while being stored.
This year potatoes have been cultivated on about 20,000 hectares of land. The potato harvest is expected to be 300,000-400,000 tonnes.
