Potato production in Ukraine in 2026 is expected to reach about 12.5 million metric tons, which will be sufficient to meet domestic food needs, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, citing Minister Taras Vysotsky.
“Potato production this year is expected to total about 12.5 million metric tons. The available volume is more than enough for the domestic market. The population consumes a maximum of 2–2.5 million metric tons per year. The rest of the harvest is traditionally used as seed potatoes and animal feed,” Vysotsky noted.
According to Vysotsky, potatoes are grown as a cash crop in Ukraine by about 400 specialized enterprises on a total area of approximately 60,000 hectares. A significant portion of the harvest is traditionally grown by households for their own consumption.
According to the State Statistics Service, the average selling price of potatoes currently stands at about 14 UAH per kilogram. Over the past week, it has fallen by 5%, and over the past month—by 15%; in some places, purchase prices have dropped to 12 UAH per kilogram.
Final figures on potato production will be available after the harvest campaign is complete, the ministry noted.
The volume of processing of major oilseeds in Ukraine during the 2026/27 marketing year could reach 16.9 million metric tons, which is 14% higher than the previous season’s figure, according to a forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In the 2025/26 marketing year, processing is estimated at 14.8 million metric tons, while in the 2024/25 marketing year it stood at about 15.7 million metric tons. Thus, the new forecast exceeds even the relatively high pre-war levels of previous seasons.
At the same time, exports of oilseeds from Ukraine are projected at 4.95 million metric tons, compared with 4.12 million metric tons in the 2025/26 marketing year. The increase could be about 20%.
However, seed exports will still be significantly lower than the 2024/25 marketing year figure—7.39 million metric tons. Compared to that figure, the projected volume is about one-third lower.
This trend indicates a continued shift toward increasing domestic processing of raw materials rather than exporting them in their unprocessed form.
According to the April report by the USDA agricultural attaché in Kyiv, the growth of processing is also driven by excess capacity at Ukrainian oilseed and fat processing plants, a shortage of sunflower seeds in the previous season, and changes in the trade regime for rapeseed and soybeans. The USDA office expected this trend to continue into the 2026/27 marketing year.
Ukraine primarily processes sunflower seeds, as well as soybeans and rapeseed. A recovery in the sunflower seed harvest to 13 million metric tons will allow plants to increase their production of oil and meal while simultaneously boosting exports of higher-value-added products.
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, September report Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade dated September 11, 2026.
Italy is preparing the TERRA program, with a total budget of up to 105 million euros, aimed at expanding access to financing for Ukrainian micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the agri-food sector, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine following negotiations with the Italian side.
The program was presented during a meeting between Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Denys Bashlyk and Davide La Cecilia, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Special Representative for Ukraine’s Recovery. The parties identified support for small farmers and the development of agricultural cooperatives as key priorities for cooperation.
According to materials from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, TERRA Ukraine—Transforming and Empowering Resilient and Responsible Agribusiness—consists of two main components.
Up to 100 million euros are planned to be allocated to financial instruments managed by the Italian state-owned financial institution Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). The funds are to be used to mitigate risks for Ukrainian financial intermediaries and expand lending to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the agri-food sector. The financial component includes a counter-guarantee from the European Commission under the Ukraine Investment Framework.
An additional 5 million euros is earmarked for technical assistance and capacity building, with this part of the program to be implemented primarily in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The Italian side views TERRA not merely as a mechanism for providing financing. The program is intended to facilitate the modernization of Ukrainian agricultural enterprises, the adoption of European sanitary, environmental, and corporate standards, as well as the transition to a more sustainable model of agricultural production in line with the European Green Deal.
“For us, it is important not just to teach farmers to work together, but to create a practical model that will enable them to pool resources, produce large volumes of goods, and enter new markets. If this approach proves successful, it can be scaled up to all regions of Ukraine,” Bashlyk noted.
The Ukrainian side also hopes to draw on Italy’s experience in developing agricultural cooperation and bringing together small-scale producers for joint processing, logistics, and access to larger markets.
Italian Ambassador to Ukraine Carlo Formosa previously reported on September 3, 2026, that TERRA is being prepared as one of the new tools to support the Ukrainian agricultural sector. According to him, the program is primarily aimed at facilitating access to credit for agricultural SMEs.
At the same time, Italy is expanding its agricultural projects in the Odesa region. According to Italian officials, approximately 25 million euros have already been allocated in the region for agricultural projects, including the Pro.UKR programs, support for viticulture and winemaking through the FAO, and a 6-million-euro project to modernize irrigation systems in Tatarbunary and Kiliya. In addition, a 7-million-euro ROOTS project is being prepared between the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and the Odesa region.
Ukraine and Italy have agreed to expedite the organizational decisions necessary for the practical launch of TERRA. Specific dates for the start of funding disbursements to Ukrainian agricultural enterprises and the terms for obtaining loans have not yet been publicly announced.
The raspberry harvest in Ukraine in 2026 will likely be lower than last year’s, but the decline in supply was offset by record-high purchase prices, said Taras Bashtannik, president of the Ukrainian Fruit and Vegetable Association (UFVA), in an interview with SEEDS published on September 2, 2026.
According to him, it is still too early to talk about a new record in terms of physical raspberry production volumes.
“I wouldn’t rush to declare a record in terms of volume, that’s for sure. In my opinion, there are fewer raspberries this year than last. In monetary terms, it could be a record or a repeat of last year’s result, because the price of raspberries this year is even higher than last year,” Bashtannik noted.
The most telling factor of the season was the sharp rise in the cost of raw materials for processing. According to the UPOA president, purchase prices for raspberries intended for processing and freezing reached 193–195 UAH per kg, excluding VAT, during certain periods.
Bashtannik noted that the Ukrainian market had never previously recorded such high purchase prices. Thus, the lower yield this season was largely offset by the higher price of the berries.
At the same time, the Ukrainian raspberry market remains predominantly export-oriented. According to the UPOA president’s estimate, 90–95% of the raspberries produced in Ukraine are exported, while domestic consumption remains relatively low.
“I would say that 90–95% of raspberries are exported. And this trend will most likely continue,” he said.
One of the main constraints on further production growth remains the high demand for manual labor. According to Bashtannik, raspberries are essentially harvested by hand, and the possibilities for mechanizing this process are still limited. This hinders rapid expansion of cultivation areas even when market prices are high.
High purchase prices also confirm the shortage of high-quality raw materials on the European market. According to EastFruit, Ukraine already ranks first in the world in net raspberry exports, and export revenue in the 2025/26 season reached a record $250.8 million, an increase of approximately 65% compared to the previous season.
Thus, the 2026 season for Ukrainian raspberry producers could set a record not in terms of harvest volume, but in terms of the value of products sold. How the situation develops will depend on the harvest in Ukraine and major European producing countries, as well as on demand from companies that freeze and process berries.
agricultural sector, Bashtannik, BERRIES, EXPORTS, RASPBERRIES, UKRAINE
According to Experts.news, Ukraine has a strong chance of taking first place in the world during the 2026/27 season—not only in terms of net exports but also in terms of the total volume of frozen raspberry exports—amid a sharp decline in harvests among its main competitors, Serbia and Poland, according to the August analytical report by the Ukrainian Berry Growers Association.
The association estimates that Serbia’s raspberry harvest in 2026 could total about 30,000 metric tons, compared to approximately 65,000 metric tons in a typical season—the lowest figure in about 30 years. Production was affected by spring frosts, plant diseases, heat, and extreme drought: Serbia received only about 7 mm of precipitation in August.
The situation has also worsened in Poland, where spring frosts damaged berry plantations. The reduction in supply immediately affected European prices: the cost of Serbian IQF raspberries reached about 7 euros/kg, which is approximately 51% higher than last year’s level.
This creates a favorable price window for Ukrainian suppliers. Ukraine is already the world leader in net exports of frozen raspberries—that is, export volume minus imports. During the 2025/26 season, from June 2025 to May 2026, the country exported 63,300 metric tons of frozen raspberries for a record $250.8 million. Export revenue rose by 65% year-over-year, and the average price was 3.96 euros per kilogram.
The new season also began with high prices. In June 2026, Ukraine exported approximately 2,150 metric tons of frozen raspberries at an average price of 4.14 euros per kilogram. The main export destinations were the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany.
Over the past few years, Ukraine’s frozen raspberry sector has significantly strengthened its position in the European market. Based on 2024 results, EastFruit analysts estimated Ukraine’s exports at approximately 65,1 thousand metric tons, while Serbia exported about 67,7 thousand metric tons. However, Serbia simultaneously imported about 4,700 metric tons of berries for subsequent re-export, so its net exports amounted to about 63,000 metric tons. Ukraine, which imports virtually no raspberries, became the world leader in this category for the first time.
Poland also remains one of the largest hubs for the global trade in frozen raspberries; however, its role is largely tied to the processing and re-export of imported berries. According to EastFruit estimates, in 2024, more than half of the frozen raspberries exported by Poland consisted of imported raw materials, a significant portion of which came from Ukraine. Poland’s net exports were estimated at only about 16,000 metric tons.
At the same time, Ukraine is gradually reducing its dependence on Polish intermediaries. Between 2022 and 2024, Poland’s share of Ukrainian frozen raspberry exports fell from 63% to 35%, while the combined share of Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, and France rose to 48%. During this period, direct shipments to Germany increased 4.5-fold, to the Czech Republic 4.2-fold, and to Austria 33-fold.
The key factor in Ukraine’s ability to maintain its leading position remains the quality of processing. A significant portion of the added value is generated not during the berry cultivation stage, but during sorting, individual quick freezing (IQF), packaging, and direct sales to European retail chains and industrial consumers. Therefore, further growth in processing capacity may be no less important than the expansion of the plantations themselves.
According to the latest available FAOSTAT data for 2024, Russia remained the world’s largest raspberry producer—at approximately 213,800 metric tons—followed by Mexico in second place with 175,500 metric tons and Serbia in third with 94,000 metric tons. Next were the United States with approximately 82,1 thousand metric tons and Poland with about 76,9 thousand metric tons. Ukraine produced about 33,6 thousand metric tons. These figures reflect domestic raspberry production specifically and do not correspond to export rankings, as part of the harvest is consumed domestically, and some countries actively import the berries for processing and re-export.
In the global trade of frozen raspberries, Ukraine, Serbia, and Poland remain the key players. Ukraine has led in net exports since 2024, while Serbia has maintained a slight lead in gross shipments. In the broader HS 081120 tariff category, which also includes frozen blackberries and some related berries, Chile is among the major exporters; therefore, customs rankings cannot be fully equated with the ranking for raspberries specifically.
If the forecast by the Ukrainian Berry Growers Association proves accurate, the 2026/27 season could be the first in which Ukraine simultaneously ranks first in the world in both net and gross exports of frozen raspberries.
TAS Agro Pivden LLC has begun planting winter wheat, with 9,800 hectares set aside for it this year, the company reported on Facebook.
“After thorough soil preparation, in accordance with the farm’s chosen technology, we have begun sowing one of the main crops for the upcoming harvest,” the company said in a post on Friday.
The company noted that crop development, winter hardiness, and future yield potential will depend on the quality of execution at each stage of preparation.
The “TAS Agro” agricultural holding is part of the “TAS” Group, founded in 1998. The group’s business interests span the financial (banking and insurance segments) and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as manufacturing, real estate, and venture capital projects.
Serhiy Tihipko is the founder of “TAS” and the beneficial owner of the “TAS Agro” agricultural holding.
