Ukraine Anticipates Stable 2024 Spring Sowing Area Amidst Ongoing Challenges
Concerns Regarding Spring Sowing Area
Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister, Mykola Solsky, expects the spring sowing area for 2024 to remain consistent with the previous year, despite the possibility of a minor decrease in the worst-case scenario. The country, known for its significant grain and oilseeds production, has faced declining harvests since Russia’s invasion and occupation of its territories, resulting in global supply disruptions and increased grain prices.
With the ongoing war entering its 24th month, Solsky provided the first official outlook for the 2024 sowing season, assuring that any reduction in the sowing area would be minimal.
Previous Sowing Data
For the 2023 harvest, Ukrainian farmers sowed a total of 12.75 million hectares of spring crops, including various grains such as corn, sunflower, and soybeans. However, due to poor weather conditions, the area sown with winter wheat was smaller, leading to potential adjustments in the upcoming spring wheat sowing.
Despite sowing 4.2 million hectares of winter wheat for the 2024 harvest, slightly less than the previous year, Solsky emphasized that there would be no overall increase in the sowing area, leaving farmers with limited options for what to plant.
Challenges and Considerations
Given the shortage of high-quality soy seeds and relatively low sunflower seed prices, farmers are facing obstacles in deciding the distribution of their sowing area. The ongoing war has also impacted farmers’ incomes, resulting in the use of lower quality wheat seeds, raising concerns about the future harvest’s quality.
Impact of War on Harvest
Before the conflict, Ukraine was a major grain supplier, with agricultural exports accounting for a significant portion of its economy. However, the combined harvest of grains and oilseeds fell from almost 110 million metric tons to just over 81 million tons in 2023 due to the occupation of territories and logistical challenges.
It is crucial for Ukraine to preserve its farming industry, especially considering the significant impact of the war on its agricultural sector.
