Labor shortages are forcing farmers to switch to mechanization.

Due to the acute shortage of personnel, Ukrainian farms are increasingly opting for mechanized onion harvesting. This increases the risks of crop contamination with soil and requires

Due to the acute shortage of labor, Ukrainian farms are increasingly opting for the mechanized harvesting of onions. This raises the risks of crop contamination with soil and necessitates additional cleaning. This was written by Pavlo Bulgakov, an international consultant on vegetable storage and senior lecturer at TDATU, in his article in the magazine "Planter." The 2025 season brought new serious challenges for farmers. Due to the lack of labor, some vegetable farms are gradually switching to more niche crops, where it is much easier to organize the required number of workers. Those enterprises that remain in the onion growing segment are forced to maximize the mechanization of harvesting processes. However, mechanized harvesting has its technological risks. Most often, during combine harvesting, two main problems arise — overdrying of the bulbs or their significant contamination with clods of earth and plant debris. Due to the high content of impurities, direct loading of the ...