Ukraine is seeing a steady trend toward reducing acreage for grain crops in favor of oilseeds, driven by a significant difference in their profit margins, said Maksym Kharchenko, an analyst at the information and analytical agency “UkrAgroConsult.”
“The profitability of wheat production, and of grains in general, is currently lower than that of oilseeds. This trend has been clearly evident over the past few seasons. While before the full-scale invasion, the area under wheat was significantly larger than that under sunflowers, the situation has changed since 2023: sunflower crops in Ukraine have become more stable and extensive than grain crops,” he said during the Black Sea Grain.Kyiv conference on Wednesday.
According to UkrAgroConsult, the profitability of wheat cultivation in the current season is less than 30%, while for sunflowers this figure reaches about 50%. The profitability of other oilseed crops—rapeseed and soybeans—remains at a similarly high level.
The analyst emphasized that despite the loss of some territories, the area under oilseed crops has not only recovered but, in some segments, has exceeded pre-war levels. This reflects farmers’ strategic shift away from grains in favor of more profitable crops.
According to the infographic, the crop mix of major export crops in Ukraine is shifting in line with profitability indicators. Until 2022, wheat led in terms of acreage, but its unprofitability—at -14.9% in 2022 and -1.8% in 2023—forced farmers to rethink their priorities. The graph shows a so-called “inflection point” in the 2022/23 season, after which sunflowers finally surpassed wheat. Currently, it offers the highest profitability at 48%, while the profitability of wheat and corn stands at only 26% and 23%, respectively, which serves as an incentive for farmers to further expand the acreage under oilseed crops.
“We are seeing an increase in production across all oilseed crops. In particular, we expect the sunflower harvest (in the 2026/2027 season – IF-U) to grow to 13.7 million tons due to better yields and increased acreage,“ forecasts ”UkrAgroConsult.”
Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy technologies, showcased new developments in its strategic partnership with Microsoft at Hannover Messe, demonstrating how their combined technologies help manufacturers modernize operations, accelerate engineering processes, and enhance sustainability.
Schneider Electric provides the industrial foundation for this collaboration through EcoStruxure Automation Expert—its open, software-defined automation platform that operates seamlessly in on-premises, edge, and hybrid environments. Microsoft extends this foundation with Azure cloud services and artificial intelligence solutions that analyze and optimize industrial processes. The result is a unified approach to agent-driven manufacturing, open automation, and end-to-end sustainability.
Today, manufacturers face increasing product variability, supply chain volatility, and heightened pressure to modernize safely. Schneider Electric addresses these challenges by combining engineering design with real-time operations. Their joint platform enables teams to standardize reusable logic, validate automation through simulation, ensure traceability throughout the entire lifecycle, and scale interoperable operations across different sites and equipment.
Schneider Electric is collaborating with Microsoft to develop the next generation of agent-based, software-defined manufacturing—an integrated workflow spanning design, engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations. At its core is EcoStruxure Automation Expert, which allows manufacturers to create, model, test, and deploy automation logic once and run it anywhere without additional reconfiguration. Schneider Electric’s deep expertise in safety, compliance, and industrial integration ensures reliability in highly regulated environments.
“From agent-based design to software-defined operations, Microsoft and Schneider Electric demonstrate a unified, interoperable workflow that enables the consistent verification, simulation, and deployment of automation logic both in the cloud and at the edge,” said Gwenel Yue, Executive Vice President of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric.
While traditional automation software requires separate tools and handoffs between stages—design, simulation, commissioning, and operations—the shared platform unifies them into a single, transparent workflow. Specialized AI agents, coordinated by a centralized control system, automate routine engineering tasks and verify logic before implementation, reducing time from design to launch and increasing efficiency on the first attempt. Schneider Electric’s industrial copilot for manufacturers, powered by Azure AI, is already delivering results in the field: engineering teams report a 50% reduction in time spent configuring control systems and preparing documentation, and changes to production lines that previously took weeks are now completed in hours.
In one project to implement autonomous green hydrogen production in real-world conditions in collaboration with H2E Power, an Indian pioneer in the green hydrogen sector, the platform delivered over 6,000 hours of stable autonomous operation in one of the most demanding industrial environments — high-temperature solid oxide electrolysis for green hydrogen production — reducing the levelized cost of hydrogen by 10%, equivalent to approximately €500,000 per year for a typical 10 MW plant.
“Thanks to agent-based design, we close the loop from engineering concept to operational reality by automating solutions, ensuring early validation, and delivering reusable automation packages that Schneider Electric can model and consistently deploy both in the cloud and at the edge,” said Dayan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President of Manufacturing and Mobility at Microsoft.
At their booths at Hannover Messe 2026, Schneider Electric and Microsoft presented hands-on demonstrations of early-stage joint innovation capabilities, including live demos, engineering AI, and an ecosystem of open standards, as part of a large-scale program to develop the next generation of manufacturing.
About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a global leader in energy technologies, driving efficiency and sustainability through the electrification, automation, and digitalization of industry, business, and residential spaces. The company’s technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and power grids to function as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing productivity, resilience, and sustainability.
The company’s portfolio includes smart devices, software-defined architectures, AI-based systems, digital services, and professional consulting services. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric consistently ranks among the world’s most sustainable companies.
Learn more at https://www.se.com/ua/uk/
Ukraine will receive $1.3 million from Sweden through UNESCO in 2026–2027 to implement projects aimed at preserving cultural heritage—particularly at the Khortytsia National Reserve—and strengthening institutional capacity, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga announced.
According to him, Sweden is providing this support to protect Ukraine’s cultural heritage sites threatened by the war.
Sybiha noted that Russia’s brutal and aggressive war against Ukraine aims to destroy cultural heritage and undermine the country’s cultural identity.
“Sweden’s support will ensure the protection and preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage sites threatened by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Protecting culture means preserving our identity and resilience, which is vital for the future of Ukraine and all of Europe. I thank Sweden for its support of Ukraine,” the minister noted in a post on social media.
The export potential of Ukraine’s agricultural sector in the upcoming 2026/2027 season will grow significantly thanks to the sale of accumulated record-high stocks.
This was announced by Maksym Kharchenko, an analyst at UkrAgroConsult, during the Black Sea Grain.Kyiv conference on Wednesday.
According to the agency’s forecast, the total harvest of major grain crops in Ukraine next season is expected to reach 59.4 million tons, while oilseeds are projected at 23 million tons. Meanwhile, the total volume of carryover grain stocks will increase by 293% and reach nearly 13 million tons. The most significant growth is expected for wheat—up to 4.7 million tons (370% more than previous figures), barley—up to 1.36 million tons, and peas—up to 222,000 tons.
Due to active warehouse unloading, wheat exports in the new season could rise to 20 million tons, and corn exports to 28.5 million tons. At the same time, production growth is forecast in the oilseed segment: the sunflower harvest could reach 13.7 million tons compared to 10.8 million tons last year, rapeseed—3.6 million tons, and soybeans—5.7 million tons. At the same time, carryover stocks of sunflower seeds are expected to decrease by 61%, while soybean stocks will increase by 50%—to 101,000 tons.
The forecast for the production and export of processed products also shows positive trends. Specifically, sunflower oil production is expected to reach 6 million tons, with exports at 5.6 million tons. Sunflower meal production is projected at 5.8 million tons, with an export potential of 4.65 million tons.
Analysts expect soybean oil production in the 2026/2027 season to reach 1 million tons, of which 950,000 tons are planned for export. Soybean meal output will total 4.4 million tons, with an export potential of 3.55 million tons.
In the rapeseed processing segment, oil production is projected at 1.55 million tons, with nearly the entire volume (1.5 million tons) to be exported, while rapeseed meal production and exports will amount to 1.95 million tons and 1.8 million tons, respectively.
According to experts, an analysis of production in the Black Sea region indicates a stabilization of the overall harvest. In particular, wheat production in Russia for the 2026/2027 season is projected at 85.8 million tons, compared to 92.8 million tons this year, though exports will remain consistently high—around 47 million tons. As for the countries of the Danube region, the total harvest is expected to reach 64.96 million tons. An increase in grain production is forecast in Hungary—to 8.88 million tons in total for wheat and corn—as well as in Poland—by 1.7%. In contrast, Bulgaria is expected to see a 13.4% decline, to 6.2 million tons of wheat, while in Romania, wheat and corn production will stand at 9.1 million tons and 10.8 million tons, respectively.
“We see two main factors as we enter this season: rising prices for diesel fuel and nitrogen fertilizers. Small producers have been hit the hardest, as they are forced to purchase inputs right before the start of the planting season. This problem will have an even greater impact on the 2027 harvest. There is a realistic scenario of lower yields not only in Ukraine but also globally, which will put significant pressure on prices,” Kharchenko concluded.
Ukraine retains its status as the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil, with a market share of about 33%, even as Russia actively expands its processing capacity and attempts to displace Ukrainian producers from their traditional markets.
This was reported by Maksym Kharchenko, an analyst at the information and analytical agency “UkrAgroConsult.”
“Russia is constantly breathing down our necks, ramping up processing and, in fact, hot on our heels. They have already partially managed to take advantage of the situation that arose after 2022 and capture our traditional market in India, where we were the No. 1 supplier. A similar picture is emerging in the markets of Turkey and Italy, where the competitor is significantly strengthening its presence,” he said at the Black Sea Grain.Kyiv conference on Wednesday.
According to the analyst, Ukraine’s sunflower processing industry remains critically dependent on exports, as domestic consumption does not exceed 300,000 tons. Despite an export potential of up to 6 million tons of oil per year, shipment volumes have fallen short of 5 million tons in recent years due to logistics and yield issues. It is noteworthy that in February 2026, the margin for sunflower processing in Ukraine remained at around 7%.
According to the agency’s data, the top 5 global sunflower oil exporters include Ukraine (33%), Russia (30%), Argentina (14%), as well as Turkey and Kazakhstan (5% each).
“Ukrainian oil remains in the premium segment. We expect supply in the Black Sea region to increase, which may put some downward pressure on prices. However, given the instability in the Middle East and the rising cost of soybean oil, our product will remain competitive,” says Kharchenko.
The expert added that competition is intensifying in other segments as well. In the new 2026/2027 season, Russia has increased its winter rapeseed acreage by more than 50%, targeting the Chinese market. Although Ukraine’s and Russia’s interests in the rapeseed oil market currently hardly overlap, UkrAgroConsult forecasts an inevitable clash of interests in the future.
At the same time, Ukraine is demonstrating rapid growth in rapeseed oil exports—shipment volumes are already twice as high as last year’s. Key buyers include EU countries (Poland, Spain, Italy) and Thailand. The situation is similar with soybeans: soybean meal exports have jumped by 50%, with Poland becoming the main market.
The agency noted that domestic processing was supported by the 10% export duty on rapeseed and soybeans introduced by Ukraine in 2025. This allowed raw materials to remain in the country and boosted sales of value-added products.
UkrAgroConsult expects oilseed production in Ukraine to continue growing in the 2026/2027 season. In particular, the sunflower harvest could reach 13.7 million tons. Kharchenko emphasized that despite the risks of war, the oilseed sector is recovering the fastest, and the acreage planted with these crops has already exceeded pre-2022 levels.
The level of emotional stress among Ukrainian children continues to rise amid the war unleashed by Russia: in 2025, it reached 37%, with the 10-13 age group being the most vulnerable, among whom 40% of children have shown increased emotional distress, reported Viktor Mykyta, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
“The war unleashed by Russia is worsening the mental state of Ukrainian children every year… Experts have found that children who have active interests outside of gadgets—such as team sports, particularly soccer, active group activities, intellectual games, and so on—demonstrate the highest stress resilience,” Mykyta stated in a Telegram post.
According to the information, last year the level of stress among children rose by 10%, while in 2025 this figure has already reached 37%. The highest rates were recorded among children aged 10–13—40% of them are experiencing increased emotional tension.
