Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Spring sowing in Ukraine is 76% complete: over 4.3 mln hectares of grain crops have been sown

As of May 9, Ukraine has sown 4.32 million hectares with spring grain and leguminous crops, which is in line with last year’s figure and accounts for 76% of the plan, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported on Friday.

According to its data, 1.07 million hectares were sown during the week, reducing the gap with last year’s sowing schedule by 6.1%.

As noted by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, 2.9 million hectares have already been sown with corn (1.92 million hectares a week earlier), 733,400 hectares with barley (715,200 hectares), 212,600 hectares with spring wheat (207,900 hectares), 208,900 hectares with peas (205,700 hectares), and 157,000 hectares with oats (157,000 hectares). ha (207.9 thousand ha), peas – 208.9 thousand ha (205.7 thousand ha), oats – 157 thousand ha (157 thousand ha), buckwheat – 16.3 thousand ha (7 thousand ha), millet – 15.7 thousand ha (6 thousand ha).

According to the plan, corn sowing reached 73%, barley – 94%, spring wheat – 93%, peas – 96%, oats – 97%, buckwheat – 18%, millet – 20%.

Last year, as of May 10, corn was sown on 2.84 million hectares, barley – 779,900 hectares, spring wheat – 244,900 hectares, peas – 161,600 hectares, oats – 165,000 hectares, buckwheat – 14,800 hectares, millet – 28,500 hectares.

According to information from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the Poltava region leads in terms of sowing rates with 509,700 hectares, followed by the Kirovograd region with 352,000 hectares, the Chernihiv region with 349,700 hectares, the Cherkasy region with 339,800 hectares, and the Sumy region with 294,300 hectares.

Technical crops were sown on an area of 5.2 million hectares, compared with 3.432 million hectares a week earlier and 5.42 million hectares last year on the same date.

In particular, sunflower crops reached 3.5 million hectares (2.36 million hectares a week earlier and 3.96 million hectares last year), soybeans – 1.3 million hectares (0.73 million hectares and 1.20 million hectares), and sugar beet – 1.2 million hectares (0.73 million hectares and 1.20 million hectares). ha (2.36 million ha a week ago and 3.96 million ha last year), soybeans – 1.3 million ha (0.73 million ha and 1.20 million ha) and sugar beets – 0.22 million ha (0.22 million ha and 0.25 million ha).

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy notes that sunflower crops currently account for 69% of the plan, soybeans – 55.9%, and sugar beets – 99%.

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Grain exports from Ukraine in 2024/2025 MY reached 35.3 mln tons — less than last year

As of May 2, Ukraine had exported 35.341 million tons of grains and legumes since the beginning of the 2024-2025 marketing year (MY, July-June), of which 119,000 tons were shipped since the beginning of this month, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, citing data from the State Customs Service.

According to the report, as of May 3 last year, total shipments were estimated at 41.607 million tons, including 242,000 tons in May.

At the same time, since the beginning of the current season, 13.913 million tons of wheat (15.848 million tons in 2023/24 MY) have been exported, 2.264 million tons of barley (2.205 million tons), 10.8 thousand tons of rye (1.2 thousand tons), and 18.644 million tons of corn (23.074 million tons). (1.2 thousand tons), and corn – 18.644 million tons (23.074 million tons).

Total exports of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of May 2 are estimated at 58.7 thousand tons (in 2023/24 MY – 87.1 thousand tons), including wheat flour – 54.5 thousand tons (82.4 thousand tons).

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Grain exports from Ukraine fell to 34.7 mln tons since beginning of season

As of April 25, Ukraine had exported 34.74 million tons of grains and legumes since the beginning of the 2024-2025 marketing year (July-June), of which 1.916 million tons were shipped since the beginning of the current month, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, citing information from the State Customs Service.

According to the report, as of April 25 last year, total shipments amounted to 40.289 million tons.

At the same time, since the beginning of the current season, 13.714 million tons of wheat (15.404 million tons in 2023/2024 MY) have been exported, 2.258 million tons of barley (2.178 million tons), 10.8 thousand tons of rye (1.2 thousand tons), and 18.252 million tons of corn (22.231 million tons). (1.2 thousand tons), and corn – 18.252 million tons (22.231 million tons).

Total exports of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of April 25 are estimated at 58 thousand tons (in 2023/24 MY – 85.7 thousand tons), including wheat flour – 53.8 thousand tons (81 thousand tons).

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Ukraine reduced grain exports to 34.5 mln tons

Ukraine has exported 34.451 mln tonnes of grains and pulses since the beginning of the 2024-2025 marketing year (July-June), of which 1.627 mln tonnes have been shipped since the beginning of the month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported, citing the State Customs Service.

According to the report, as of April 25 last year, the total shipments amounted to 40.289 million tons.

At the same time, since the beginning of the current season, Ukraine has exported 13.623 mln tonnes of wheat (15.404 mln tonnes in 2023/24 MY), 2.247 mln tonnes of barley (2.178 mln tonnes), 10.8 thsd tonnes of rye (1.2 thsd tonnes), and 18.067 mln tonnes of corn (22.231 mln tonnes).

The total export of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of April 21 is estimated at 57 thsd tonnes (in 2023/24 MY – 85.7 thsd tonnes), including wheat – 52.9 thsd tonnes (81 thsd tonnes).

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NBU expects grain and vegetable harvest to grow by 10-17% in 2025

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) expects a significant increase in grain, oilseeds and vegetable harvests in 2025, in the range of 10-17%.

“As for grains, we expect a 12% increase in harvests, 10% in oilseeds, and 17% in vegetables and potatoes,” said NBU Deputy Governor Sergiy Nikolaychuk at a press briefing on Thursday.

According to him, spring frosts and potentially prolonged periods of drought could negatively affect the yields of certain crops and put some pressure on prices, and this is considered a risk.

At the same time, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, there is no significant damage to crops from frost, the NBU Deputy Governor noted.

“Therefore, I would like to reiterate our thesis that a significant slowdown in food inflation in the second half of the year is one of the important factors behind the overall slowdown in inflation in the second half of the year. And, in fact, this is our baseline scenario,” Mr. Nikolaychuk emphasized.

According to him, after the prices for agricultural products rose quite significantly last year, the potential for further price increases, even if negative risks materialize, will be limited by the relevant imports.

The NBU deputy governor added that the current harvest forecast is not much different from the one published in January.

Mr. Nikolaychuk emphasized that according to the operational data coming from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, no serious damage to crops due to frost has been recorded so far.

As reported, this year’s planting season is 20.6% behind last year’s. As of April 11, Ukraine sowed more than 1 million hectares of spring grains and legumes.

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Ukraine has transported 116 mln tons through sea corridor

The Ukrainian Sea Corridor has transported 116 million tons of cargo since its launch, including almost 73 million tons of grain, said Oleksiy Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister of Communities and Territories Development.

“Since the launch of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, 116 million tons of cargo have been transported. Of these, more than 73 million tons of grain have been transported to the countries of Europe, Africa and Asia,” Kuleba wrote on Facebook on Tuesday following the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Odesa region.

At the same time, since the summer of 2023 alone, Russia has fired more than half a thousand missiles at our ports and damaged about 400 port infrastructure facilities, Kuleba noted in his Facebook post.

Kuleba also took part in a working trip, the press service of the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development said in a statement.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that in Odesa, Zelensky held a meeting on the security situation in the region and its socio-economic development. The focus was on people’s safety, protection of the sky over the region from Russian attacks, the situation with grain exports, the work of regional enterprises and support for our people.

“It is also important for us to protect the port infrastructure. This is a matter of Ukraine’s economy and global food security,” Kuleba emphasized, noting that strengthening protection against constant Russian attacks and stable operation of the sea corridor is of course of interest to the region’s producers.

Work is currently underway to strengthen the air shield over Odesa region. The state is also constantly working on security guarantees, in particular at sea, in the sky, and on land, the Deputy Prime Minister said in a post.

In early March, the Ministry of Development reported that 106 million tons of cargo had been transported through the Ukrainian sea corridor during its operation, of which almost 70 million tons were grain.

It was also reported that on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Odesa together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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