The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food forecasts in 2024 gross production of grain and oilseeds at the level of 74 million tons, of which about 52.4 million tons of cereals and 21.7 million tons of oilseeds.
As noted on the agency’s website, at the beginning of last year, the total gross harvest of grains and oilseeds for 2023 was also forecast to be almost 13% lower than the previous period, at 63.5 million tons, but weather conditions led to an increase in the harvest. Therefore, gross production in 2023 is about 82 million tons, of which cereals more than 60 million tons and oilseeds about 22 million tons.
“Forecasts for gross harvest figures are preliminary and will be adjusted during the year depending on circumstances, primarily weather conditions,” the Ministry of Agrarian Policy emphasized.
According to the forecast, in 2024, farmers will be able to harvest cereals in the following volumes: wheat – 19.2 million tons (22.2 million tons were harvested last year), barley – 4.9 million tons (5.7 million tons in 2023) and corn – 26.7 million tons (30.5 million tons).
Among oilseeds, soybeans are projected to increase. This crop is expected to produce 5.2 million tons, a year earlier 4.7 million tons were harvested. Sunflower production is forecast at 12.4 million tons versus 12.9 million tons, respectively. Rapeseed is planned to be harvested at 4.1 million tons, while last year’s crop was 4.7 million tons.
Sown areas of grain and leguminous crops are forecast at 10.6 million hectares, which is 395 thousand hectares less than in 2023. Of these, winter wheat is sown on 4.3 mln ha (-0.3 mln ha), spring wheat – 0.2 mln ha. (+0.2 thousand ha), winter barley – 0.47 million ha (-0.15 million ha).
The area of spring barley is forecasted at 0.94 million hectares (+0.06 million hectares), corn – 3.9 million hectares (-62 thousand hectares).
Among oilseeds, the area sown with soybeans is increasing. It is forecasted that it will be sown on the area of 2.2 million hectares. This is almost 400 thousand hectares more than last year. Sunflower will be sown almost as much as last year – 5.3 million hectares, rape – 1.5 million hectares, which is 0.1 million hectares less than last year.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy, based on the results of a survey conducted in the State Agrarian Register on the preparation of agricultural producers for the sowing campaign of spring crops for the harvest-2024, reported that 70% of respondents plan to increase the area under soybean by an average of 21% compared to 2023.
The survey also showed that during the spring sowing season Ukrainian agrarians will prioritize grain legumes, the sown areas under which will increase by 11%, and spring barley – by 7%. It is expected that sown areas under spring rape will increase by 24%, sugar beet – by 17%, and under corn will decrease by 9%. Sunflower areas may potentially decrease.
Earlier, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy allowed a reduction in 2024 sown areas under spring crops by 0.5 million hectares or 3.7% compared to last season.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine due to favorable weather conditions has improved the forecast of harvest in 2023 by about 4%, Minister Mykola Solskiy said on the air of the national telethon.
“We have adjusted our forecast of this year’s harvest compared to last year’s … by 10% down. But the weather is really this year, according to the state as of today, ufu-tufu-tufu, so that it would continue to be so, it is good enough, let’s say, cautiously. And we have already adjusted this forecast for the better: we think that the drop will be by +/- 6 percent compared to last year. This is preliminary, because there are still a few months ahead,” said the Minister.
He specified that the initial forecast was based on the change in the structure of sown areas caused by logistical problems in favor of more expensive crops, but with lower yields (for example, soybeans or sunflowers instead of corn), as well as less investment in land.
Solsky specified that canola, barley and wheat have been harvested for several weeks now.
“Rapeseed (will be) like last year, maybe even a little more. Barley – less, because less was planted, by 15-20 percent. And there will be less wheat because less was planted. We hope to compensate with spring crops in the fall, but let’s not guess,” – said the Minister.
As reported, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyy at the end of June predicted grain harvest this year at the level of about 46 million tons compared to 53.1 million tons in the previous season.
At the same time, Ukrhydrometeocenter in early July gave a more optimistic estimate – about 49.6 million tons.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine has issued 57 orders granting grants to agricultural producers to establish orchards and build greenhouses for the total UAH 277.2 million.
According to the agency’s website on Friday, the grants to farmers range from 360 thousand UAH to 10 million UAH per recipient, the total area of future plantations and under greenhouses is 257.44 ha.
The Ministry also clarified that 52 of the 57 grants for the total amount of 242.2 million UAH will be allocated for planting gardens, and five grants for the total amount of 35 million UAH will be given for the construction of greenhouses. The participants of the greenhouses projects are farmers from Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattya, Odessa and Vinnytsia regions, the total area of the constructions will be 8.9 hectares.
Ministry of Agrarian Policy reminded that on November 15 the Cabinet of Ministers made a number of clarifications to the procedure for providing grants for the establishment or development of horticulture, berry growing and viticulture. In particular, grants are now available for the construction of modular greenhouses of at least 0.4 ha and not more than 2.4 ha in size according to the standard project and the number of new jobs created of at least 14 per 1 ha of greenhouse area. It is also possible to receive funds for the purchase of means of production (planting material, seeds, technological equipment), covering the costs of their delivery and commissioning the modular greenhouse.
There are set grant limits depending on the area of a modular greenhouse: for buildings 0,4-0,6 ha it shall not exceed 2 mln UAH, for constructions 0,8-1,2 ha – 3,5 mln UAH, for 1,6-2,4 ha – 7 mln UAH.
As it was reported, grants for greenhouses development allow agribusinesses to attract up to UAH 7 million of financing, and for gardening – up to UAH 10 million. In general, the state will allocate 16 billion UAH to finance such projects.
DEVELOPMENT, GRANTS, HORTICULTURE, MINISTRY OF AGRARIAN POLICY
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine has issued 57 orders granting grants to agricultural producers to establish orchards and build greenhouses for the total UAH 277.2 million.
According to the agency’s website on Friday, the grants to farmers range from 360 thousand UAH to 10 million UAH per recipient, the total area of future plantations and under greenhouses is 257.44 ha.
The Ministry also clarified that 52 of the 57 grants for the total amount of 242.2 million UAH will be allocated for planting gardens, and five grants for the total amount of 35 million UAH will be given for the construction of greenhouses. The participants of the greenhouses projects are farmers from Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattya, Odessa and Vinnytsia regions, the total area of the constructions will be 8.9 hectares.
Ministry of Agrarian Policy reminded that on November 15 the Cabinet of Ministers made a number of clarifications to the procedure for providing grants for the establishment or development of horticulture, berry growing and viticulture. In particular, grants are now available for the construction of modular greenhouses of at least 0.4 ha and not more than 2.4 ha in size according to the standard project and the number of new jobs created, at least 14 per 1 ha of greenhouse area. It is also possible to receive funds for the purchase of means of production (planting material, seeds, technological equipment), covering the costs of their delivery and commissioning the modular greenhouse.
There are set grant limits depending on the area of a modular greenhouse: for buildings 0,4-0,6 ha it shall not exceed 2 mln UAH, for constructions 0,8-1,2 ha – 3,5 mln UAH, for 1,6-2,4 ha – 7 mln UAH.
As it was reported, grants for greenhouses development allow agribusinesses to attract up to UAH 7 million of financing, and for gardening – up to UAH 10 million. In general, the state will allocate 16 billion UAH to finance such projects.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine initiated the allocation of UAH 3.39 billion of portfolio guarantees to four state-owned banks for lending to the processing industry of the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex.
As reported on the website of the agency on Wednesday, this measure will stimulate the processing of agricultural raw materials within the country, large reserves of which are difficult to export in the context of a halt in Ukrainian agricultural exports due to the blockade of its key seaports by Russian warships.
“Given that our seaports are blocked and we cannot export our grain in the required quantity, we will focus on the processing industry. As a result, enterprises operating in this area, thanks to portfolio guarantees, will be able to buy a certain stock of their products from agricultural producers , and the latter, in turn, will be able to repay part of the body of the loan,” Bagrat Akhidzhanov, director of the financial and economic department, quotes the Ministry of Agrarian Policy.
According to him, lending to agricultural processing will provide the maximum possible financial resource to the entire sphere of the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex.
In addition, it is specified that the ministry has already developed a plan for further financing of farmers in June-August.
“The Ministry of Agrarian Policy has a number of developments in lending to the agricultural products processing industry. Yes, we have already initiated changes to Decree No. 723 to expand the list of those who can receive loans under state guarantees by including processing enterprises in this list,” the statement reads. message of the words of First Deputy Minister Taras Vysotsky.
As reported with reference to the Minister of Agrarian Policy Mykola Solsky, the main factors for the development of agricultural processing in Ukraine are the opening of European and world markets on an ongoing basis, as well as affordable financing for farmers.
AGRO-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX, MINISTRY OF AGRARIAN POLICY, PROCESSING INDUSTRY
