As of February 14, Ukraine exported 27.275 mln tonnes of grains and pulses since the beginning of 2024-2025 marketing year, of which 1.585 mln tonnes were shipped since the beginning of the current month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported, citing the State Customs Service.
According to the report, as of the same date last year, the total shipments amounted to 26.269 million tons, including 2.393 million tons in February.
In particular, since the beginning of the current season, Ukraine has exported 11.464 mln tonnes of wheat (10.14 mln tonnes in 2023/24 MY), 2.106 mln tonnes of barley (1.507 mln tonnes), 10.8 thsd tonnes of rye (1 thsd tonnes), and 13.27 mln tonnes of corn (14.355 mln tonnes).
The total export of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of February 14 is estimated at 45.5 thsd tonnes (in 2023/24 MY – 70.6 thsd tonnes), including wheat – 42 thsd tonnes (66.9 thsd tonnes).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has lowered its forecast for Ukraine’s grain production by 13% and exports by 26% due to the country’s depleted stocks.
According to the February forecast, the country’s ending grain stocks in the 2024-2025 marketing year (MY, July-June) are estimated at 1.8 million tons, up 19% from last year, but significantly lower than before the large-scale invasion in February 2022.
The EU will remain an important destination for Ukraine given its liberalized trade policy and geographical proximity. At the same time, Ukrainian exporters continue to regain their traditional markets, made possible by the efficient operation of the Black Sea ports, the report says.
According to the USDA, the wheat harvest in 2024/25 MY in Ukraine will amount to 22.9 mln tons, which is the same as last year, but its exports will decrease by 19% to 15 mln tons. The barley harvest will be 3% lower than in the season-2023/24, and is estimated at 5.9 million tons, while exports will amount to 2.6 million tons. The forecast for rye production was lowered by 18% to 190 thousand tons.
Rye has become a niche crop for Ukrainian farmers, so its production and exports can vary significantly from year to year, the USDA said.
The USDA forecasts the largest reduction in corn, the production of which will decrease by 24% compared to 2023/24 MY – to 24.6 mln tons, while exports will fall by 33% – to 19.6 mln tons. The ending stocks of the grain are forecasted at 722 thsd tonnes, up slightly from the previous year, but significantly lower than the 2.8 mln tonnes that were in reserve at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Since the beginning of 2024-2025 marketing year (July-June) and as of February 7, Ukraine exported 26.449 mln tonnes of grains and pulses, 758 thsd tonnes of which were shipped this month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported, citing the data of the State Customs Service.
According to the report, as of the same date last year, the total shipments amounted to 24.716 mln tonnes, including 840 thsd tonnes in February.
In terms of crops, since the beginning of the current season, Ukraine has exported 11.073 mln tonnes of wheat (269 thsd tonnes in February), 2.079 mln tonnes of barley (15 thsd tonnes), 10.8 thsd tonnes of rye (0), and 12.865 mln tonnes of corn (472 thsd tonnes).
The total export of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of February 7 is estimated at 44.3 thsd tonnes (0.7 thsd tonnes in February), including 40.9 thsd tonnes of wheat (0.7 thsd tonnes).
“Nibulon is now one of the three largest grain exporters in Ukraine and has been profitable for two and a half years, with EBITDA of approximately $68 million in 2024, Andriy Vadatursky, owner of one of the largest grain market operators in Ukraine, JV Nibulon LLC, told NV in an interview.
He noted that this figure is slightly lower than the agricultural holding planned due to difficulties in the second half of the year, and added that in a few days he will have the exact figure of financial performance for 2024.
Commenting on the information about the increase in the share of Nibulon’s own fleet in 2024 from 26% to 55%, and the volume of transportation from 278 thousand tons to 404 thousand tons, Vadatursky reminded that the company was built on investments in alternative ways of delivering products, in particular, in water transport. Accordingly, elevators were built on the Dnipro River and the Southern Bug River.
“Now all this is standing still. Kherson is under fire, Mykolaiv is closed. The fleet has nowhere to work. More than 100 ships are blocked. Some elevators, even in the occupied territory, are left without water. The
Kakhovka dam was broken in May 2023. The prospect of returning was taken away from us. I can’t imagine that the river (transportation by the Dnipro) will work for 5-10 years, even after the victory,” he said.
To solve this problem, Nibulon leased vehicles from Scania (Sweden), increased the number of vehicles and, of course, optimized its operations to use its own vehicles as much as possible.
“We have 138 new vehicles in total. We have purchased about 70 vehicles, I think, for EUR 17 million. Denmark also helped us. They take care of Mykolaiv region. For example, we got a loan from EIFO. Denmark gave us a 14-year loan for agriculture. (…) We received about EUR12.5 million. We purchased German machinery,” said the owner of the agricultural holding.
Mr. Vadatursky added that foreign investors are extremely cautious about investing in Ukraine, while bureaucratic Europe is very slow to change course and spends a lot of time on simple things.
JV Nibulon LLC was established in 1991. Prior to the Russian military invasion, the grain trader had 27 transshipment terminals and crop reception complexes, a one-time storage capacity of 2.25 million tons of agricultural products, a fleet of 83 vessels (including 23 tugs), and owned the Mykolaiv Shipyard.
“Before the war, Nibulon cultivated 82 thousand hectares of land in 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to more than 70 countries. In 2021, the grain trader exported the highest ever volume of 5.64 million tons of agricultural products, reaching record volumes of supplies to foreign markets in August – 0.7 million tons, in the fourth quarter – 1.88 million tons, and in the second half of the year – 3.71 million tons.
Nibulon’s losses due to Russia’s full-scale military invasion in 2022 exceeded $416 million.
Currently, the grain trader is operating at 32% of capacity, has created a special unit to clear agricultural land of mines, and was forced to move its headquarters from Mykolaiv to Kyiv.
As of January 29, Ukraine exported 25.353 mln tonnes of grains and pulses since the beginning of 2024/25 marketing year (July 2024 – June 2025), of which 3.121 mln tonnes were shipped this month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported citing the data of the State Customs Service.
It is noted that as of January 30 last year, the total shipments amounted to 23.146 million tons, including 4.582 million tons in January.
In the current season, Ukraine has already exported 10.7 mln tonnes of wheat (9.027 mln tonnes in 2023/24 MY), 2.064 mln tonnes of barley (1.4 mln tonnes), 10.8 thsd tonnes of rye (1 thsd tonnes), and 12.166 mln tonnes of corn (12.465 mln tonnes).
As of January 29, the total exports of Ukrainian flour in the current season are estimated at 43.3 thsd tonnes (52 thsd tonnes in 2023/24 MY), including 39.9 thsd tonnes of wheat (48.6 thsd tonnes).
Since the beginning of 2024-2025 marketing year (July-June) and as of January 24, Ukraine exported 24.475 mln tonnes of grains and pulses, of which 2.514 mln tonnes were shipped this month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported, citing the data of the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
According to the report, as of the same date last year, the total shipments amounted to 22.246 mln tons, including 3.682 mln tons in January.
In terms of crops, since the beginning of the current season, the country has exported 10.563 mln tonnes of wheat (650 thsd tonnes in January), 2.035 mln tonnes of barley (36 thsd tonnes), 10.8 thsd tonnes of rye (0), and 11.729 mln tonnes of corn (1.82 mln tonnes).
Thus, the volume of wheat exports for 2024/2025 MY agreed by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and grain market participants at 16.2 mln tonnes has already been exhausted by 65%.
The total exports of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of January 24 are estimated at 41.6 thsd tonnes (4 thsd tonnes in January), including 38.2 thsd tonnes of wheat (3.7 thsd tonnes).
