Energy costs rise to 75% in Ukraine’s greenhouse production
Source: HD.com
Energy costs rise to 75% in Ukraine’s greenhouse production Thanks! Energy costs rise to 75% in Ukraine’s greenhouse production The research commissioned by the Dutch business development agency RVO found that energy costs in Ukraine's greenhouse sector have increased to 60–75% of production costs, alongside rising energy prices, labor shortages, logistics costs, and competition from Turkish imports as the main challenges for producers.
"The greenhouse sector has contracted under the pressure of war and energy costs, but it remains strategically important," said Kateryna Volianska, an independent RVO consultant specializing in protected cultivation. She added that exports have fallen fourfold compared with 2021, while labor shortages have increased due to migration and military mobilization.
The study identifies two production models: 20–25 industrial high-tech greenhouse enterprises covering 270–290 hectares, and 4,000–7,000 hectares of mostly low- and mid-tech small and medium-sized farms. Ukrainian yields range from 20–30 kg/m², compared with a potential of 40–60 kg/m², while advanced Dutch systems reach up to 100 kg/m².
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
