Excess moisture adversely affects the quality of garlic grown in Ukraine, says Mikhail Soroka, head of the Best Garlic group of companies.

Garlic on the territory of Ukraine wintered well, as the winter was mild, and it did not freeze. But along with it pests, diseases and weeds successfully transferred the cold season.

In the spring there were no problems with water supply, and in its first half it was actively growing. But in May, starting from the western regions of the country, a large amount of precipitation began. As a result, there is an excess of moisture in the soil, which has led to a number of problems.

Garlic, which is now entering the markets, is not of adequate quality. It is spoiled by fungal diseases and pests. Garlic cultivation in Ukraine takes place mainly on the lands of small private farms, which are not always able to carry out insurance treatments.

But it is precisely at the expense of such farms that product prices are formed, and the lack of storage facilities forces farmers to start selling as early as possible, which leads to a collapse in prices, the expert explains.

Garlic has a strong immunity to diseases and for some time it successfully fights with them independently. It may have a presentation, but illnesses that occur in a latent form will make themselves felt during the storage period.

This is known to manufacturers who are trying to quickly sell products, knowing well that such garlic will not be stored for long. The situation is complicated by the fact that in Ukraine there are practically no special storages for garlic.

Already on sale you can see garlic with a blackened neck and a problem with roots, which is a sign of fungal diseases, summed up Mikhail Soroka.