Ukrainian steelmakers increased pig iron output by 5.9% in January–March 2026 compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.802 million tons.
According to information from the Ukrmetallurgprom association on Thursday, 690,200 tons of pig iron were produced in March, compared to 561,900 tons the previous month and 549,900 tons in January.
As reported, Ukraine’s metallurgical enterprises increased pig iron production by 11.2% in 2025 compared to 2024, reaching 7.884 million tons.
In 2024, Ukraine increased pig iron production by 18.1% compared to 2023—to 7.090 million tons.
In 2023, Ukraine reduced pig iron production by 6.1% compared to 2022—to 6.003 million tons.
In 2022, the country reduced pig iron production by 69.8% compared to 2021—to 6.391 million tons.
In 2021, before the war, 21.165 million tons of pig iron were produced.
Agricultural production in Ukraine increased by 1.7% in January–February 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the State Statistics Service (SSS).
According to the agency’s data, the growth was driven exclusively by the livestock sector (index 101.7%), while data on crop production for this period are traditionally unavailable.
The main driver was agricultural enterprises, which increased production by 8.9%. The best performance in this segment was shown by enterprises in the Donetsk (index 162.5%), Lviv (132.9%), and Volyn (135.0%) regions. Overall, growth among enterprises was recorded in 20 regions.
In contrast, a decline was observed in private households: production volumes fell by 14.8% compared to January–February 2025. The largest declines in the private sector were recorded in the Donetsk (index 35.3%), Ternopil (50.9%), and Zakarpattia (63.8%) regions.
Regionally, across all categories of farms, the largest declines in production volumes were recorded in Donetsk (index 60.5%), Zakarpattia (68.3%), and Chernivtsi (82.9%) regions. At the same time, the leaders in overall growth were Vinnytsia (+22.9%), Lviv (+22.7%), and Kirovohrad (+7.6%) regions.
As reported, in January 2026, agricultural production in Ukraine increased by 3.2% compared to January 2025. Thus, over the course of two months, the growth rate slowed slightly.
Ukraine’s grain market is entering the 2026–2027 marketing year (MY, July–June) under significant pressure due to accumulated stocks and intensifying global competition, according to the information and analytical agency “UkrAgroConsult.”
“The key factor remains the accumulation of carryover stocks, which could reach about 10.7 million tons, putting pressure on prices,” analysts noted.
According to their forecasts, gross grain production in Ukraine in the 2026 season is expected to reach about 60.3 million tons, with about 51 million tons to be exported to foreign markets.
UkrAgroConsult identified the growing role of logistics, costs, and global competition as the main trends of the season. According to analysts’ estimates, export dynamics will be shaped by the need to unload the market, and the market itself will shift to a buyer’s market.
France’s TotalEnergies has announced that it has halted or is in the process of halting production in Qatar, Iraq, and offshore assets in the UAE. According to the company’s estimates, these assets account for about 15% of its total production. This is stated in TotalEnergies’ statement on its investor page.
The company clarified that onshore production in the UAE is not affected by the conflict. Its volume is about 210,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in TotalEnergies’ share. At the same time, 15% of the volume in the Middle East accounts for about 10% of the upstream segment’s cash flow, as local assets are subject to higher taxes and generate less cash flow per barrel than the group’s portfolio average.
The company also said that rising oil prices could compensate for the decline in volumes. According to TotalEnergies’ estimates, an $8 per barrel increase in the price of Brent is enough to offset the expected 2026 cash flow from assets in Iraq, Qatar, and offshore UAE at a price of $60 per barrel. At the same time, operations at the SATORP oil refinery in Saudi Arabia continue as usual and supply the kingdom’s domestic market.
Oilseed production in Ukraine in the 2026-2027 season will show growth due to high margins and the development of domestic processing, according to the information and analytical agency UkrAgroConsult.
Analysts noted that sunflower will remain a priority crop for farmers. At the beginning of 2026, sunflower seed prices approached UAH 30,000/t, which encourages farms to expand their crops. The area under this crop in the new season may increase to 6.1 million hectares.
The soybean and rapeseed markets remain stable. At the same time, domestic processing of these crops is growing in Ukraine, which strengthens the country’s role in the Black Sea region. An increase in gross seed harvest will stimulate plant utilization and further growth in oil and meal exports.
Among the key trends for the 2026/27 season, UkrAgroConsult named the preservation of oilseeds as one of the most profitable segments of agricultural production, with sunflower maintaining its leading position. Analysts also predict an increase in processing capacity utilization and a further increase in exports of processed products amid relative stability in the soybean and rapeseed markets.
According to preliminary data, Ukrainian metallurgical companies reduced their total rolled steel production in January-February this year by 16.8% compared to the same period last year, from 957,000 tons to 797,000 tons.
According to information from the Ukrmetallurgprom association on Monday evening, 390,300 tons of rolled steel were produced in February, compared to 406,400 tons in the previous month.
As reported, Ukrainian steel companies increased their total rolled steel production by 4.8% in 2025 compared to 2024, to 6.521 million tons from 6.222 million tons.
In 2024, Ukraine increased its total rolled steel production by 15.8% compared to 2023, to 6.222 million tons from 5.372 million tons.
In 2023, Ukraine increased its total rolled steel production by 0.4% compared to 2022, to 5.372 million tons.
In 2022, the country reduced its total rolled steel production by 72% compared to 2021, to 5.350 million tons.
In pre-war 2021, 19.079 million tons of rolled steel were produced, which was 103.5% of the 2020 level.
