Greenhouses market

Great significance in regular green-stuffs supply for population belongs to greenhouse vegetable production. This year there have been 3000 ha of land under greenhouses in Ukraine: 800 ha of glass greenhouses and 2000 ha - film greenhouses. There were 78 greenhouses with the capacity from 5 to 30 ha of land. Since 1990, protected vegetable production has almost stopped, instead film constructions under stand-by and solar heating became popular. Today a great number of greenhouses (especially film ones) are not in the operation or at a low-end level. Currently only 2, 700 ha of land are under different kinds of greenhouse use. Annually new greenhouses are built, the film ones prevail: in 2005 — 6 ha, 2006 — 10 ha, 2007 — 20 ha, 2008 — 7 ha. However, it is not enough to provide Ukrainian people with fresh vegetables.

Today there are over 60 greenhouses in Ukraine, the largest facilities being:

1. “Kombinat „Teplychnyi“ OJSC (48,5 ha) , Kyiv region;

2. “Krymteplytsia” Ltd (24 ha), Crimea;

3. “Zmiyivska vegetable factory” OJSC (47 ha), Kharkiv region;

4. Research agricultural center «Puscha-Vodytsia» (36,6 ha), Kyiv region;

5. «Provesin OJSC (18 ha), Lviv region;

6. Uman Greenhouse Company (28 ha) Cherkasy region.

Ukrainian greenhouses produce cucumbers and tomatoes as basic cultures, and also leaf lettuce, bunching onion, parsley, dill, spinach, bell pepper, egg-plant, radish and other vegetables. Besides, flowers and ornamental plants are also grown there. In the structure of areas, taken under greenhouses, tomatoes (almost 60%) and cucumbers occupy 95–98%, bell peppers and egg-plants - 1%, other vegetables occupy an insignificant area. In the southern regions of Ukraine film greenhouse areas were increased under bell peppers, egg-plants and herbaceous crops, some private companies grow early melon crops in film premises.

In 2009 59.8% of greenhouse vegetables were produced by private households, 40,1% — by greenhouse companies and only 0,1% - by farms. Areas under primitive greenhouses and film constructions amount to 2,36 thousand ha, or 81,4% of all greenhouse growing areas in Ukraine.

Imported products are the main competitors for Ukrainian producers. They constantly increase production output and area of destination. Ukraine imports more than 10 thousand tons of cucumbers and 45–60 thousand tons of tomatoes each year. The best period for import is from November till May, when Ukrainian products are not presented enough at the market. Today during winter time the transportable hybrids of tomato, imported from North Africa, Spain, Turkey, Uzbekistan and China are sold at the market.