Nibulon JV LLC, one of the largest grain market operators in Ukraine, has completed the sowing campaign of winter crops on 16.1 thou hectares, the grain trader’s press service reported on its Facebook page.
According to the report, Nibulon planted 8.6 thou hectares of winter wheat and 7.5 thou hectares of winter rapeseed. These crops are mainly concentrated in Mykolaiv region. According to the development strategy for the agricultural sector in 2024, the area under rapeseed has almost tripled, while winter wheat has decreased by 20% compared to the previous year.
The expansion of rapeseed acreage is due to the high profitability of this crop, which makes it economically attractive even in a changing climate, the agricultural holding explained.
Nibulon noted that in the 2024 season, the agricultural division of the agricultural holding had to take into account unfavorable weather conditions and adjust its work: for the second year in a row, sowing was carried out in dry soil, and the seeds were “preserved” in anticipation of favorable weather.
“In such circumstances, there are risks of provocative precipitation that causes seed germination but is insufficient for plant development and can lead to its death. Thus, we lost and had to reseed part of the rapeseed. But despite these circumstances, the vast majority of seedlings survived, developed and are going into winter in a satisfactory and good condition,” said Oleg Veselov, Director of Agricultural Production at the agricultural holding.
According to him, the situation was resolved by the company’s water-saving tillage technologies, which improved the quality and economy of crops even in conditions of drought and limited access to moisture.
Nibulon JV LLC was established in 1991. Prior to the Russian military invasion, the grain trader had 27 transshipment terminals and crop reception complexes, capacity for simultaneous storage 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.
The agricultural holding Continental Farmers Group has completed sowing winter crops for the 2025 harvest on 85.2 thou hectares, of which 33.1 thou hectares are allocated for winter rape, 12.5 thou hectares for barley, and 39.6 thou hectares for wheat, the press service of the agricultural holding reports.
Continental said that despite the dry conditions at the start of the sowing season, due to timely agrotechnical measures and subsequent rains, it managed to get good quality winter rape seedlings on all sown areas. We are currently caring for the crop and preparing it for wintering.
“As for winter wheat, the sowing dates were slightly delayed due to prolonged periods of precipitation in the first ten days of October. However, this did not prevent us from sowing all the planned areas and successfully moving on to crop protection measures. Given the conditions of the region where we operate, the optimal circumstances for germination, we estimate the completion date as satisfactory and close to the long-term average,” said Konstantin Shityuk, Chief Operating Officer of the agricultural holding.
In addition, the second wave of harvesting is coming to an end on Continental’s fields. Sunflower, soybeans, seed and food potatoes have been fully harvested among the late crops. Corn threshing, digging of chip potatoes and harvesting of sugar beets are nearing completion.
Mriya Agro Holding and CFG, united under the name Continental Farmers Group, have been operating as a single business since November 2018, when Mriya entered into an agreement with international investor Salic UK to sell its assets.
Salic was founded in 2012. Its sole shareholder is the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which invests in agricultural and livestock production.
Agrotrade has started sowing winter crops for the 2025 harvest on 27.9 thousand hectares, the company’s press service reports on its Facebook page.
According to the report, the sowing campaign started with winter rapeseed, for which almost 12.5 thou hectares have been allocated in Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Poltava regions, which is 1.3 thou hectares more than last season.
“The change in the area under winter rapeseed is primarily due to crop rotation requirements. This year, we started the sowing campaign simultaneously in Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv regions. The work has already gained momentum and will last a total of two weeks. They were preceded by high-quality preparation, such as peeling, plowing, leveling and fertilizing,” said Oleksandr Ovsyanyk, Director of Agrotrade’s Agricultural Department.
Currently, more than 24% of the planned area has been sown with the crop, and 15 units of machinery are involved.
“We will soon start sowing winter wheat, for which Agrotrade has allocated 15.4 thousand hectares,” the agricultural holding summarized.
The Agrotrade Group is a vertically integrated holding company with a full agro-industrial cycle (production, processing, storage and trade of agricultural products). It cultivates over 70 thousand hectares of land in Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava and Kharkiv regions. Its main crops are sunflower, corn, winter wheat, soybeans and rapeseed. It has its own network of elevators with a simultaneous storage capacity of 570 thousand tons.
The group also produces hybrid seeds of corn and sunflower, barley, and winter wheat. In 2014, a seed plant with a capacity of 20 thousand tons of seeds per year was built on the basis of Kolos seed farm (Kharkiv region). In 2018, Agrotrade launched its own brand Agroseeds on the market.
Vsevolod Kozhemiako is the founder and CEO of Agrotrade.
As of March 28, Ukraine sowed 476.7 thousand hectares with spring grains and pulses, up 8.3% year-on-year, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported on Friday.
According to the report, the rate of sowing peas is 51.1% higher than last year as of the same date and amounts to 81.8 thousand hectares, barley – 35.6% higher and reached 291.5 thousand hectares, wheat is 27.8% higher – 68.3 thousand hectares, oats – 17.6% higher – 28.7 thousand hectares.
Agrarians of Odesa region are leading the way in spring sowing campaign. They have already sown 7 thou hectares of wheat, 41.5 thou hectares of barley, 28.4 thou hectares of peas and 1.5 thou hectares of oats.
In Mykolaiv region, 2.2 thou hectares of wheat, 33.4 thou hectares of barley, 17.6 thou hectares of peas and 0.5 thou hectares of oats were sown; in Khmelnytsky region – 7.2 thou hectares of wheat, 23.7 thou hectares of barley, 0.8 thou hectares of peas and 0.5 thou hectares of oats; in Poltava region – 6.4 thou hectares of wheat, 56.2 thou hectares of barley, 0.8 thou hectares of peas and 0.5 thou hectares of oats. hectares of wheat, 56.2 thousand hectares of barley, 0.8 thousand hectares of peas and 0.3 thousand hectares of oats; in Poltava – 6.4 thousand hectares of wheat, 56.2 thousand hectares of barley, 4.7 thousand hectares of peas and 2.3 thousand hectares of oats; in Ternopil – 14.4 thousand hectares of wheat, 56.2 thousand hectares of barley, 0.8 thousand hectares of peas and 0.3 thousand hectares of oats. hectares of wheat, 56.2 thou hectares of barley, 3.1 thou hectares of peas and 2.3 thou hectares of oats; in Vinnytsia region – 5.9 thou hectares of wheat, 27.1 thou hectares of barley and 2.3 thou hectares of peas.
Last week, Ukrainian farmers sowed grains and legumes on 262.2 thou hectares. Poltava region is in the lead, with 44.2 thou hectares planted.
Poltava region is also the leader in sugar beet sowing, with 10.2 thou hectares already planted. Sowing of this crop has also started in Vinnytsia, Volyn and Rivne regions.
Agrarians in Kyiv region have started sowing sunflower, and those in Vinnytsia region – soybeans.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported in the State Agrarian Register that 70% of respondents plan to increase soybean acreage by 21% on average compared to 2023, based on the results of a survey conducted by the State Agrarian Register on farmers’ preparations for the spring crops sowing campaign for the 2024 harvest.
The survey also showed that during the spring sowing campaign, Ukrainian farmers will prioritize pulses, which will increase by 11%, and spring barley – by 7%. The area under spring rapeseed is expected to increase by 24%, sugar beet by 17%, and corn by 9%. The area under sunflower may potentially decrease.
In general, in 2024, the area under spring crops may decrease by 0.5 million hectares or 3.7% compared to last season, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy.
Due to the drought observed in Ukraine, autumn winter crops have already been partially lost, at the same time, the prolonged lack of precipitation intensifies the pace of the harvesting campaign and contributes to high quality corn grain, according to the analytical cooperative “Pusk”, established within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Rada (VAR).
“The forecast model does not show precipitation in Ukraine in the near future. Therefore, the moisture content of corn grain remains low, averaging 17-20%, while in the past season it was 30-35%. This will help reduce the cost of corn grain, as one drying cycle is enough for the harvested crop,” analysts said.
They noted that in early October, agrarians will intensify the collection of corn, because they will complete the harvesting of sunflower and soybeans.
At the same time, it is noted that the shelling of ports in Odessa and Danube region hinders the export of corn. At the same time, this product is in demand from China exclusively on CIF basis with delivery in October-December at a conditional price of $250/ton.
“On all bases weekly price tags for Ukrainian corn lose 3-5$/ton. The supply of its grain is high, but logistical problems are and will continue to be a factor in the fall of prices, especially in the deployment of the harvesting campaign”, – explained in the CAP and added that in a week we can expect the following level of prices for 1 ton of corn: SRT river ports – 140-150$, DAP border – 145-155$.
Agrarians in all regions except Transcarpathia have sown 1155 thousand hectares of winter crops, of which 905.9 thousand hectares are allocated for winter rape and 249 thousand hectares for winter grains, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reports.
According to the report, 228.6 thou hectares are already under winter wheat, 10.8 thou hectares under winter barley, and 9.5 thou hectares under winter rye.
Over the previous week, 251 thou hectares were planted with winter rape, and 204 thou hectares with winter grain.
In addition, it is reported that farmers of Volyn, Poltava, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Chernivtsi regions have completed sowing of winter rape.
Most of the winter grains were sown in Sumy region – 25.9 thousand hectares, which is 50% of the forecast, winter rapeseed – in Dnipropetrovs’k region, 93.4 thousand hectares (74.4% of the forecast).
As reported with reference to the survey conducted by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the vast majority of farmers do not plan to significantly change the area under winter crops in 2024 compared to the previous season.
