The company "Chumak" (part of the Wilmar International group) has decided to halt the construction of a new tomato processing plant in Odesa.

This is reported by LIGA.net.

"Currently, the project has been paused due to macroeconomic challenges and the security situation", – stated Chumak's operational director, Oleksandr Boyko.

The company’s main asset in Kherson has been under temporary occupation since the start of the full-scale invasion. In 2023, Chumak announced plans to build a new tomato processing plant in Odesa. However, in April 2024, the oil terminal of "Delta Wilmar Ukraine" was destroyed by Russian missiles.

After losing production capacities in Kherson, the company had to change its operational model. According to Boyko, initially, Chumak imported tomato paste in triangular tubes from Italy, but by 2025 they plan to engage a Ukrainian partner's facilities for production.

Recall: It was previously reported that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian farmers have lost the tomato processing sector, which has yet to be restored. The production of tomato paste and ketchup was primarily located in southern Ukraine, where it has been destroyed or occupied. It was also reported that due to consistently high vegetable consumption but relatively low domestic production, Ukraine has had to import insufficient amounts of vegetables from abroad. Additionally, the total deficit of storage facilities for vegetables in Ukraine exceeds 1.1 million tons. Due to the war, over 281 thousand tons of simultaneous storage capacity has been lost. Today, 35% of the vegetable harvest does not reach consumers simply due to the lack of proper storage conditions.