Wholesale prices of potatoes in Ukraine in spring 2014 could grow by 28.6-37.5% compared with the current prices, to UAH 4.50-5.50 per kilogram, Head of the Vegetable and Fruit Project at APK-Inform Tetiana Hetman said.

"According to our assessments, the price will grow and maybe it will reach a record of UAH 4.50-5.50 per kilogram by the end of the season – April," she said at the X Vegetable and Fruit in Ukraine Conference 2013 in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The expert said that the situation is linked to a lack of high-quality potatoes in the country.

She said that this year farmers faced a shortage of funds to buy high-quality seeds and plant protection agents. In addition, rain during harvesting affected the potato harvest.

Hetman added that over the past week the prices of potatoes grew by 15%, to UAH 3.50-4.00 per kilogram.

"In the previous years the prices of potatoes never grew in November. Usually we saw a fall in the price or the price remained stable. Today first signs of a shortage of high-quality potatoes are appearing in Ukraine," the analyst said.

She added that imports of potato from Egypt would not considerably influence the price situation in Ukraine.

She said that there is a similar situation with onions. Last week the price of onions grew by some 20%, to UAH 4.50 per kilogram. She said that the prices of carrots, cabbages and beets would remain stable, irrespective of the reduction in the harvest this year.

As reported, according to the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine, the country harvested 9.3 million tonnes of vegetables and 22 million tonnes of potatoes in 2013.