The price of sunflower seed in Ukraine rose by $20 over the week—to $460 per metric ton, including VAT, on a CPT mill basis, according to a weekly market review by the brokerage firm Spike Brokers.
According to the brokers, Ukrainian oilseeds showed varying trends that week depending on the sales destination. The price of sunflower seeds on a CPT mill basis rose from $440 to $460 per metric ton, while rapeseed on an FCA Chop basis rose from $550 to $555 per metric ton; however, on a CPT mill basis, rapeseed prices fell from $485 to $480 per metric ton.
“The western export channel commands a higher premium, while port and domestic processing parities remain at a discount,” the review notes.
From August 1–27, sunflower oil exports fell by 42.5% compared to the same period in July—to 131.3 thousand metric tons from 228.4 thousand metric tons. Ukraine exported almost no sunflower seeds—0.6 thousand metric tons compared to 2.6 thousand metric tons a month ago. At the same time, overseas sales of sunflower meal increased by 28%—to 83.1 thousand metric tons from 64.9 thousand metric tons.
During this period, Ukraine exported 255,2 thousand metric tons of rapeseed, compared to 11,8 thousand metric tons during the corresponding period in July, marking a 21.6-fold increase. Rapeseed oil exports rose 4.6-fold—to 69,4 thousand metric tons from 15,2 thousand metric tons, respectively. The main buyers of rapeseed were Germany (109.2 thousand metric tons), the Netherlands (84.3 thousand metric tons), and the Czech Republic (25.1 thousand metric tons), which accounted for about 86% of August’s exports of this product.
Soybean exports from August 1–27 fell by 55.6% to 27.1 thousand metric tons. Soybean oil exports totaled 33.3 thousand metric tons, down 11% from the same period in July, while soybean meal exports totaled 70.7 thousand metric tons (-28.9%). Total exports of soybeans, soybean oil, and soybean meal amounted to 131.1 thousand metric tons, compared to 197.8 thousand metric tons during the same period in July, a decrease of 34%.
For GMO soybeans, the price on a CPT port basis fell from $420 to $410 per metric ton, and on a CPT mill basis from $425 to $400, while the FCA Chop price rose from $435 to $450 per metric ton. In the non-GMO soybean segment, the CPT port price fell from $440 to $430 per metric ton, while the FCA Chop price rose from $470 to $475.
According to Spike Brokers, the price differential between western and other destinations for oilseeds continues to widen. Specifically, the spread between FCA Chop and CPT mill for GMO soybeans widened from $10 to $50 per metric ton over the week, while the difference between FCA Chop and CPT port for non-GMO soybeans increased from $30 to $45 per metric ton.
In the 2025/26 season, Ukraine significantly increased domestic rapeseed processing—to 43% of the harvest, compared to 16% a year earlier, according to “Agribusiness Today.”
Of the approximately 3.3 million metric tons of rapeseed available, Ukrainian companies processed about 1.4 million metric tons, while about 1.9 million metric tons were exported.
The shift in market structure is already affecting shipments to the European Union. Ukraine is exporting fewer rapeseed seeds while simultaneously increasing shipments of products with higher added value.
During the first eight weeks of the new season, Ukrainian rapeseed oil exports to the EU increased approximately fivefold—to 24,000 metric tons. According to the publication’s estimates, processing about 60,000 metric tons of seeds was required to produce this amount of oil.
During this period, Ukraine accounted for about 56% of rapeseed oil imports into the European Union.
Thus, the Ukrainian rapeseed sector is gradually shifting its business model: instead of primarily exporting raw materials, an increasing portion of the harvest is being processed domestically into oil and meal.
This allows most of the value added to remain in Ukraine while reducing processors’ dependence on imported raw materials and the need to utilize other oilseed crops at processing facilities.
PJSC “Euroshpon-Smyga” (Smyga, Rivne Oblast), a leading Ukrainian manufacturer of sawn veneer, saw its net profit decline by 29.2% in January–June 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, down to 109.4 million UAH.
According to the company’s financial statements published on its website, its net revenue for this period increased by 18.4% to 630.3 million UAH.
The company reported UAH 168.9 million in gross profit (down 3.6%) amid a 31.8% decline in operating profit to UAH 132.2 million.
Retained earnings as of the end of the reporting period stood at UAH 1.23 billion.
According to the report, in the second quarter of this year, “Euroshpon-Smiga’s” net profit fell by 41.7% compared to April–June 2025—to 54.2 million UAH—while net sales revenue rose by nearly 15%—to 311.7 million UAH.
As of early July of this year, the company employed 430 people.
According to its own information, the trade and industrial company “Euroshpon-Smiga” is the leading manufacturer of planed veneer in Ukraine. It produces lumber, planed veneer, and finger-jointed veneer from various wood species. Its products comply with international standards and are FSC-certified.
Last year, the company exported 81.6% of its total sales, amounting to 901.1 million UAH; importing countries included Poland, Lithuania, Spain, Slovakia, Belgium, and the United States.
In 2025, its net profit increased by 14.7%—to 258.8 million UAH—compared to 2024, as net revenue rose by 15.6%—to 1 billion 105 million UAH. This year, shareholders approved dividend payments twice—totaling 50 million UAH.
Moldova and Kazakhstan remain the two largest markets for Ukrainian cheese: in January–July 2026, they accounted for 34.8% and 25.8% of Ukrainian exports, respectively, according to the Association of Milk Producers, citing data from the State Customs Service.
Germany became the third-largest buyer with a share of 13.1%.
Thus, Moldova and Kazakhstan together account for 60.6% of foreign demand for Ukrainian cheese among the markets listed, and the combined share of the three main markets reaches 73.7%, according to calculations based on data from the Milk Producers Association.
In total, Ukraine exported 8,200 metric tons of cheese over the first seven months of 2026, which is only 1.2% more than the figure for the same period last year.
Export revenue totaled $37.4 million, increasing by only 0.5%.
This means that the value of exports is growing even more slowly than their physical volume. The estimated average price of exported products was approximately $4,560 per metric ton and remained virtually unchanged year-over-year.
At the same time, Ukraine is increasing its cheese imports at a significantly faster rate. From January through July, 28.3 thousand metric tons of cheese were imported into the country—24.7% more than a year earlier—with a total value of $168.8 million.
As a result, Ukrainian cheese exports account for less than one-third of the volume of imports, and their geographic distribution remains fairly concentrated around several key markets.
Germany’s presence in both directions of trade is particularly telling: the country accounts for 16.3% of Ukraine’s cheese imports and is simultaneously the third-largest market for Ukrainian products, with a 13.1% share.
Source: Association of Milk Producers
Ukraine’s industrial poultry sector remains highly concentrated: by 2027, the six largest vertically integrated companies will account for more than 75% of chicken meat production, according to a forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
MHP remains the largest player, accounting for well over half of Ukraine’s industrial chicken production, according to the USDA FAS report Poultry and Products Annual, published on August 19, 2026.
Industrial broiler farms accounted for about 90% of Ukraine’s total chicken production in 2025. Another 8% came from household farms, and about 2% came from culled laying hens, parent stock, and other categories of poultry.
The USDA expects the role of industrial production to continue to grow, while the share of household farms will gradually decline.
Despite MHP’s dominance, the U.S. agency characterizes the Ukrainian market as competitive. Several medium-sized producers launched expansion and productivity improvement programs in 2025–2026, and some of the new capacity is expected to enter the market in 2026–2027.
Vertical integration allows companies to simultaneously engage in poultry farming, feed production, grain and oilseed cultivation, and processing, which helps offset price and military risks. The industry’s growth is currently financed primarily through companies’ own funds, as Ukrainian businesses’ access to international capital markets remains limited.
At the same time, the country’s largest producer continues its active international expansion.
In July 2025, MHP acquired 92% of Spain’s Grupo UVESA for EUR 270 million. According to USDA estimates, following the transaction, the group controls more than 10% of the Spanish poultry market, and the acquired capacity adds approximately 160,000 metric tons of chicken meat per year.
Sales in MHP’s European segment exceeded $1 billion by the end of 2025.
In May 2026, MHP acquired a 70% stake in Th. Nitsiakos AVEE, Greece’s largest vertically integrated chicken producer, with an option to acquire the remaining 30%.
The USDA reports that the Greek company’s revenue in 2025 was nearly EUR540 million, and the transaction is expected to be completed in several tranches by December 2028.
The number of Ukrainian enterprises with access to the European Union market is also growing. In 2026, the number of Ukrainian producers, processors, poultry slaughterhouses, and cold storage facilities approved by the EU increased by two, bringing the total to 19.
Among the most notable new entrants, the USDA highlights the Lutsk Agricultural Company, part of the Avesterra Group. According to the company’s management, it is implementing a large-scale expansion program with the aim of intensifying competition with MHP in both domestic and international markets.
The USDA forecasts that chicken meat production in Ukraine will increase from 1.386 million metric tons in 2025 to 1.48 million metric tons in 2026 and 1.54 million metric tons in 2027. The bulk of this growth is expected to come from industrial enterprises in the central and western regions of Ukraine.
Source: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Ukraine: Poultry and Products Annual, report UP2026-0022.
In January–July 2026, Ukraine imported 28,300 metric tons of cheese, which is 24.7% more than during the same period last year, while exports of Ukrainian cheese rose by only 1.2%—to 8,200 metric tons.
This is according to data from the State Customs Service, cited by the Association of Milk Producers (AMP) in a publication dated August 26.
Thus, according to calculations based on AMM data, the physical volume of cheese imports was approximately 3.5 times greater than exports, and the difference between imports and exports reached about 20,100 metric tons.
The gap in monetary terms is even more pronounced. The value of cheese imports over the seven-month period totaled $168.8 million, an increase of 17.9%, while exports brought Ukraine $37.4 million, which is only 0.5% more than last year’s figure.
Thus, imports exceeded exports in monetary terms by approximately 4.5 times, and the trade deficit in cheese amounted to about $131.4 million.
The data provided by the APM also shows that the average estimated cost of imported cheese was about $6,000 per metric ton, while that of exported cheese was about $4,600 per metric ton.
At the same time, imports in physical terms are growing significantly faster than their value: the volume increased by 24.7%, while procurement costs rose by 17.9%. This indicates a decrease in the average calculated import value per metric ton by approximately 5% compared to January–July of last year.
For comparison: Ukraine’s total merchandise imports in January–July 2026 amounted to $58.1 billion, while exports totaled $24.1 billion, according to the State Customs Service.
Poland, Germany, and the Netherlands remain the main suppliers of cheese to the Ukrainian market, while Ukrainian products are mainly exported to Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Germany.
Original source: Association of Milk Producers, citing data from the State Customs Service.
