The cost of this year’s sowing campaign for Ukrainian farmers will increase by about 15% compared to last year and will amount to about UAH 700 billion ($17 billion), said Denis Marchuk, deputy head of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council (VAR).
“The difficulty is that this season’s sowing campaign will be more expensive. In total, it will cost Ukrainian producers around UAH 700 billion to carry out this work. Accordingly, this will be reflected in the final price of food products,” the expert said.
According to him, the main reasons for the increase in prices are the rise in fuel prices (by 10-15%), mineral fertilizers (by 20%), plant protection products, and seeds. This will lead to an increase in the price of the final food product by 3-5%.
Marchuk also added that due to weather conditions and snow cover in some regions, sowing will begin with a delay of about two weeks. At the same time, work is already actively underway in the south of the country.
The structure of crops will remain largely traditional: sunflower, corn, spring wheat, barley, soybeans, and buckwheat. At the same time, due to climate change, farmers are increasingly experimenting with niche crops, in particular chickpeas.
The deputy head of the UAA emphasized the importance of government support for agricultural producers, especially in frontline regions, where working conditions are the most difficult.
