There is a downward trend in prices on the carrot market in Ukraine, according to analysts of the EastFruit project. At the same time, according to the producers, the demand for carrots today remains quite low: wholesale companies make purchases as needed, preferring not to lay products for long-term storage, which negatively affects the overall price level.
For example, as of today, producers are shipping carrots at 15-23 UAH/kg ($0.36-0.56/kg), depending on the quality and volume of the offered batches of vegetables, which is on average 21% cheaper than a week earlier. The reason for the decline in prices for root vegetables, according to the project experts, is a seasonal increase in supply amid rather restrained demand for these products. In an effort to boost sales, farmers are forced to revise selling prices for carrots downward.
It is worth adding that despite the price decline, today carrots in Ukraine are on average 2.4 times more expensive than in the same period last year.
You can get more information about the development of the market of carrots and other fruit and vegetable products in Ukraine by subscribing to the operational analytical weekly – EastFruit Ukraine Weekly Pro. Detailed information about the product can be found here.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has raised more than $510 million from the private sector and international donors to support Ukrainian agricultural producers over two years as part of the Agricultural Resilience Initiative in Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine), with the U.S. government contributing another $350 million to the program, the donor organization said.
“AGRI-Ukraine, founded in July 2022, has already helped more than 14 thousand Ukrainian farmers, which is 32% of registered agricultural producers in the country, to obtain the necessary resources, such as seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products, access to storage facilities and financial resources. This made it possible to harvest crops and provide additional income of more than $90 million due to an increase in corn and sunflower production by 430 thousand tons,” the statement said.
When Russia tried to block the export of Ukrainian agricultural products through the Black Sea ports, AGRI-Ukraine helped to prepare alternative export routes, in particular through ports on the Danube River and land border crossings.
Thanks to these measures, 62 million tons of agricultural products were exported, bringing more than $17 billion to the Ukrainian economy, USAID stated.
According to the donor organization, contributions of $510 million provided by the private sector and international donors tripled the original target set by USAID.
“In 2023, AGRI-Ukraine expanded its circle of partners to include 26 Ukrainian agricultural companies, the American seed company Gowan Seed, international financial institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the governments of the Republic of Korea and Japan.
“USAID and its partners remain committed to supporting Ukraine’s agricultural sector and the export of Ukrainian agricultural products, which will help mitigate the global food crisis that is deepening as a result of the war unleashed by Russia,” the donor organization assured.
Agrarians of all regions of Ukraine have harvested early grain and leguminous crops on the area of 6185.1 thousand hectares, having threshed 27 million 259 thousand tons of grain at a yield of 44.1 c/ha, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
According to the report, the leaders in grain harvesting are the farmers of Zaporizhzhya region, who threshed 96% of the area, the largest threshing remains in Odessa region – 3.2 million tons. Harvesting of early grain crops is fully completed in Poltava, Vinnitsa and Odessa regions.
To date, Ukraine has harvested barley on 1398 thousand hectares, which is 94% of the planned, of which 5.567 million tons were threshed; wheat from 4.384 million hectares (94%) harvested 20.818 million tons; peas from 152.2 thousand hectares (101%) received 379.1 thousand tons.
Agrarians of Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa and Ternopil regions have started harvesting millet, which was threshed 379.1 thousand tons from the area of 152.2 thousand hectares, which is 3% of the plan.
Dnipropetrovsk region threshed 0.1 thousand tons of buckwheat from 0.08 thousand hectares, which is 5% of all areas under this crop in the country.
In addition, 492.1 thousand tons of other grain and leguminous crops were threshed from 249 thousand hectares.
Agrarians of 13 regions have completed the harvest of rapeseed. It was threshed from the area of 1370.7 thousand hectares (92% of the planned area), from which 3944.1 thousand tons of winter rape was harvested.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy in connection with the revision of the forecast for the harvest of all crops monitors information on their yields. Thus, for barley this week it amounted to 39.8 c/ha against 38.8 c/ha a week earlier, wheat – 47.5 c/ha (46.2 c/ha), peas – 24.9 c/ha (24.6 c/ha), winter rape – 28.8 c/ha (28.1 c/ha), millet – 12.1 c/ha (6.9 c/ha). Data on buckwheat at 11.3 c/ha corresponds to last week’s figures.
As reported, winter wheat sowing this season amounted to 4166 thousand hectares (-834 thousand hectares to the previous season), winter barley – 536 thousand hectares (-255 thousand hectares), rapeseed – 1374 thousand hectares (+110 thousand hectares).
According to the adjusted forecast of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in 2023 agrarians will be able to harvest grain in the following volumes: wheat – 20.9 million tons, barley – 5.8 million tons and corn – 28.1 million tons. Gross production of oilseeds will reach 20.3 million tons, in particular, sunflower – 12 million tons, rapeseed – 4 million tons, soybeans – 4.2 million tons. The sugar beet harvest is forecasted at 13.7 million tons.
Ukrainian agrarians harvested 66.32 million tons of major crops from the total area of 16.28 million hectares by December 2, with 2.5 million tons of corn from 0.4 million hectares, including 15.5 million tons of corn from 2.5 million hectares (60% of cultivated areas) in the period November 25 – December 2.
According to the website of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food on Friday, the total area of agricultural land, from which the crops were harvested, increased by 3 percentage points (p.p.) – up to 85% of the previously planned areas.
In terms of crops harvesting of wheat, barley, peas and rapeseed was completed. During the week the volumes of harvested buckwheat remained unchanged (98%), but increased by 1 percentage point for soybeans – to 98%, sunflower – to 97%, millet – to 96%, by 4 percentage points for sugar beet – to 97%, by 7 percentage points for corn – to 60%.
According to Minagropolitiki, the final yield of wheat in the current season amounted to 19.4 million tons from 4.7 million hectares, barley – 5.6 million tons from 1.6 million hectares, rape – 3.2 million tons from 1.1 million hectares, pea – 261 tons from 111 thousand hectares.
In addition, December 2, a total of 15.5 million tons of corn was harvested (+2 million tons per week) from 2.5 million hectares (+0.3 million ha), 9.9 million tons of sunflower (+0.1 million tons) from 4.6 million hectares (+0.1 million ha), 8.6 million tons of sugar beets (+0.4 million tons) from 174 thousand hectares (+8 thousand ha). ha (+8 thousand ha), 3.6 million tons of soybeans from 1.5 million ha (no change), 157 thousand tons of buckwheat (+1 thousand tons) from 115 thousand ha (no change), and 100 thousand tons of millet (2 thousand tons) from 42.9 thousand ha (+0.3 thousand ha).
According to the Ministry, the average yield of all crops in the current season was 44.4 c/ha, including corn – 61.3 c/ha, wheat – 41.2 c/ha, of barley – 35.1 kg/ha, rape – 28.9 kg/ha, soy – 24.2 kg/ha, pea – 23.4 kg/ha, millet – 23.2 kg/ha, sunflower – 21.7 kg/ha, buckwheat – 13.6 kg/ha, sugar beet – 498 kg/ha.
It is reported that farmers of Mykolayiv and Odesa regions have completed the harvesting of all crops. Most cereals and leguminous crops were threshed in Vinnitsa region – 3.7 million tons, followed by Kirovograd region (3.4 million tons) and Dnipropetrovsk region (3 million tons).
As reported, this week, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotsky told Interfax-Ukraine news agency on the sidelines of the conference “EBA-2022 Infrastructure Day” that the corn harvest this year will be successfully harvested until the spring 2023.
“There are still 11-12 million tons of corn left in the fields. We will be able to harvest it, but depending on weather conditions, it may take several weeks to several months. Ukraine has experience in harvesting it in previous peaceful years. It all depends on weather factors – this crop may be on the fields until spring. Harvesting speed also depends on the weather factor, “- Vysotsky commented on the situation.
Ukraine in 2021 harvested a record crop of cereals, legumes and oilseeds at 106 million tons: cereals and legumes – 84 million, and oilseeds – 22.6 million tons.
A total of 32.4 million tons of wheat, 40 million tons of corn, 10 million tons of barley, 581.5 thousand tons of peas, 191 thousand tons of millet and 110 tons of buckwheat were harvested last year. Sunflower harvest amounted to 16.3 million tons, soybeans – 3.4 million tons and rapeseed – 2.9 million tons.
Ukrainian farmers during the period of the Affordable Loans 5-7-9% program and portfolio guarantees opened for them until May 31 had attracted UAH 38.507 billion in total, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
“Credit funds were attracted by 18,078 farmers. Most of the loans under the portfolio guarantee program 80% were provided by state-owned banks,” the release says.
According to it, PrivatBank issued such agricultural loans for UAH 8.243 billion, Ukrgasbank – for UAH 4.355 billion, Oschadbank – for UAH 2.814 billion, Ukreximbank – for UAH 2.285 billion.
The top 5 regions in terms of attracted financial resources included Kirovohrad (UAH 4.712 billion), Kyiv (UAH 4.942 billion), Vinnytsia (UAH 3.289 billion), Odesa (UAH 2.940 billion) and Dnipropetrovsk (UAH 2.937 billion) regions.
They are followed by Poltava (UAH 2.407 billion), Volyn (UAH 2.117 billion), Lviv (UAH 2.094 billion), Khmelnytsky (UAH 1.758 billion) and Ternopil (UAH 1.527 billion) regions.
The ministry reminded that according to the terms of the program, farmers could attract up to UAH 60 million at 0% per annum for up to 6 months. Purpose of lending is an investment loan for the purchase of agricultural machinery, a loan for replenishment of working capital for the purchase of seeds, fertilizers, fuels and lubricants.
The size of the loan guarantee from the state reached 80% of the loan amount. A pledge of 20% of the amount could be A loan object, movable, immovable property – commercial real estate, special equipment, fixed assets, including bought for credit funds, as well as grain.
“One stage has actually been passed, but ahead – the periods of harvesting and selling the harvest are no less important. Therefore, the government will continue to work to ensure that farmers are provided with affordable financing – this is a basic condition for their development and competitiveness,” First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotsky said.
The cancellation by the UK of all duties and quotas on products from Ukraine to support it in the face of a military invasion by the Russian Federation may allow Ukrainian farmers to increase their presence in the UK markets of poultry meat, walnuts, honey, cranberries, blueberries and peas.
The list of high-margin agricultural products that Ukraine could supply to the UK at a time when the export of its traditional agricultural raw materials is blocked by the aggressor country of the Russian Federation was published on the website of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) on Wednesday evening.
According to the results of 2021, agricultural products worth $553 million were exported from Ukraine to the UK, including sunflower oil (31% of export earnings), rapeseed (28%) and corn (24%). However, the supply of traditional agricultural crops in 2022 is difficult due to the naval blockade of Ukraine by Russian warships, as a result of which the country can potentially increase the export of a number of other agricultural products by road.
Ukrainian farmers, in particular, can focus their export efforts on the supply of poultry meat to the UK. The volume of its export in 2021 was 2,600 tonnes. The share of Ukraine of UK imports is 1%. Main competitors: the Netherlands, Poland, and Belgium.
The export of walnuts without shells is also promising. The volume of its export in 2021 was 0700 tonnes. The share of Ukraine of UK imports is 6%. Main competitors: the United States, Germany, and China.
According to the UCAB, Ukrainian farmers can increase honey exports to the UK (800 tonnes were delivered in 2021). The share of Ukraine of UK imports is 1%. Main competitors: China, Poland, and Mexico.
The export of cranberries and blueberries is also promising (supplies in 2021 – 200 tonnes). The share of Ukraine of UK imports is 0.3%. Main competitors: Spain, Peru, and Chile.
Ukraine exported 4,900 tonnes of peas to the UK in 2021, which amounted to 12% of the UK market in 2021. At the same time, Russia is Ukraine’s main competitor in this market, which, taking into account the economic sanctions imposed against it, adds an advantage to Ukrainian suppliers.
“Now the railways and seaports of neighboring countries are heavily loaded due to the export of grain crops, the volumes of which we have the largest. Therefore, to increase export earnings, we should focus on the export of goods that have a higher price with less weight and thus export by road,” UCAB cites a promising export model from its analyst Svitlana Lytvyn.
BERRIES, HONEY, PEAS, POULTRY, UK, UKRAINIAN FARMERS, WALNUTS
