As of October 27, 2026, Ukrainian agricultural producers had harvested 16.91 million metric tons of major oilseeds, including sunflower, soybeans, and rapeseed, which is approximately 11.7% higher than the figure for the same date last year. According to data from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, production of sunflower and rapeseed increased, while the gross harvest of soybeans decreased.
Sunflowers account for the largest share of oilseed crops; as of the reporting date, 9.83 million metric tons had been harvested from an area of 4.44 million hectares, or 85% of the projected area.
Compared to the figure as of October 31, 2025, the sunflower harvest increased by 17.5%, or approximately 1.46 million metric tons.
At the same time, the harvested area remained virtually unchanged, indicating that higher yields played a decisive role.
The average sunflower yield reached 22.1 centners per hectare, compared to 18.8 centners per hectare last year, an increase of 17.4%.
The harvest of winter and spring rapeseed has also been completed in Ukraine. The gross harvest totaled 3.90 million metric tons from an area of 1.33 million hectares.
Compared to last year’s figure of 3.32 million metric tons, rapeseed production increased by 17.4%.
The average yield rose from 26.0 to 29.3 centners per hectare, or by 12.7%, while the harvested area grew by 4.2%.
The situation on the soybean market is different.
As of October 27, farmers had harvested 3.18 million metric tons of soybeans from an area of 1.47 million hectares, representing 91% of the projected area.
By comparison, 3.94 million metric tons of soybeans had been harvested by October 31 of last year.
Thus, the current gross harvest is 19.2% lower than last year’s figure. This decline is due to both a 12.8% reduction in the harvested area and a 7.3% decrease in average yield, down to 21.7 centners per hectare.
Despite the positive trends for sunflower and rapeseed, the soybean harvest results indicate uneven development in the Ukrainian oilseed market.
Sunflower remains the primary raw material for the Ukrainian oil and fat industry. An increase in its production potentially creates additional opportunities for utilizing processing facilities’ capacity and exporting sunflower oil.
Rapeseed and soybeans are also important export crops and are used in the production of vegetable oils, feed ingredients, and biofuel feedstocks.
However, the final figures for sunflower and soybeans will be determined after the harvest campaign is completed.
As of October 27, 2026, Ukrainian farmers had harvested 7.89 million metric tons of corn from an area of 1.33 million hectares, which is 23.9% less than as of October 31 of last year, according to data from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
According to the ministry, corn harvesting has been completed on 29% of the projected area. The average yield is 59.5 centners per hectare, compared to 61.5 centners per hectare last year, representing a decrease of approximately 3.3%.
As of October 31, 2025, farmers had already harvested 10.36 million metric tons of corn from 1.68 million hectares.
Thus, the current shortfall in gross harvest is primarily due to the smaller area harvested, rather than solely to a decline in yield.
The area of threshed corn in 2026 is currently 21.3% less than last year’s figure, provided for comparison.
At the same time, the pace of harvesting has accelerated significantly over the past week. The gross corn harvest has increased from 5.4 million to 7.9 million metric tons, or by approximately 2.5 million metric tons.
Despite the acceleration in harvesting, a significant portion of the crop remains in the fields. By the end of October, farmers are expected to harvest approximately 71% of the projected corn acreage.
Therefore, it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions about the crop’s gross production based on preliminary statistics.
Corn is one of Ukraine’s main agricultural export crops and an important raw material for the animal feed industry, starch and syrup production, and other processing sectors.
Its production volume affects the agricultural sector’s export potential, the utilization of transportation infrastructure, and the supply of grain on the domestic market.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food also reported that the total harvest of grains and legumes in Ukraine reached 41.7 million metric tons from 72% of the projected area.
Meanwhile, the harvest of wheat, barley, and peas has already been fully completed. Their gross harvests exceed last year’s figures by 15.2%, 23.2%, and 26.2%, respectively.
Source: Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, operational statistics as of October 27, 2026.
As of October 27, 2026, Ukrainian farmers had harvested 41.7 million metric tons of grains and legumes from an area of 8.32 million hectares, or 72% of the projected planted area. The average yield reached 50.2 centners per hectare, compared to 45.8 centners per hectare last year, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
Thus, the grain yield increased by approximately 9.6%, which helped offset delays in the harvesting of certain late-maturing crops.
For comparison: as of October 31, 2025, farmers had harvested 40.20 million metric tons of grain from 8.77 million hectares, or 76% of the total area. When comparing these figures, the difference in reporting dates must be taken into account.
According to the ministry’s data, the harvest of wheat, barley, and peas has been fully completed in Ukraine.
The gross wheat harvest totaled 26.24 million metric tons from an area of 5.12 million hectares, which is 15.2% higher than last year’s figure of 22.78 million metric tons. The average yield increased from 45.1 to 51.2 centners per hectare, or by 13.6%.
The barley harvest grew by 23.2%—from 5.36 million to 6.60 million metric tons. At the same time, the harvested area increased by 9.8%—to 1.48 million hectares, and the yield rose from 39.7 to 44.5 centners per hectare.
An even more significant increase was recorded for peas. Pea production reached 833,600 metric tons, compared to 660,700 metric tons last year, an increase of 26.2%.
The area planted with peas grew by 11.4%, to 302,200 hectares, and the average yield was 27.6 centners per hectare, compared to 24.4 centners per hectare a year earlier.
Thus, the growth in production of the three main early-season grain and legume crops was driven by both higher yields and an expansion of the planted areas for certain crops.
At the same time, the corn harvest remains at a relatively early stage. As of October 27, farmers had threshed only 29% of the projected area, harvesting 7.89 million metric tons of this crop.
The future trend of the total grain harvest in 2026 will largely depend on the results of the corn harvest, which remains one of Ukraine’s main export crops.
Ukraine ranks among the world’s major producers and exporters of grain crops. Wheat and corn account for a significant portion of the country’s agricultural exports, while barley and peas are supplied to both the domestic market and foreign buyers.
Source: Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, harvest data as of October 27, 2026.
Kyiv hosted the 12th Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF), dedicated to the performance of the Ukrainian economy amid escalating war risks. Discussions centered on how businesses can adapt to new threats, maintain production, and find resources for recovery and development.
Opening the forum, Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi stated that Russia has intensified its attacks on the Ukrainian economy. According to his estimates, direct losses exceeded $7.7 billion, and more than 1 million square meters of real estate have been damaged or destroyed. By the end of the year, the prime minister said, the budget will fall short of planned revenues by about $1.5 billion.
At the same time, he emphasized that despite the consequences of the war, the economy continues to function thanks to the resilience of entrepreneurs and their teams, and support for business remains one of the government’s priorities.
“We realize how important it is right now to support Ukrainian businesses in return for this resilience, in return for this dedicated work,” noted Serhiy Koretskyi.
Despite limited budgetary resources, the government is continuing its lending programs and developing mechanisms to insure against war risks. Under the “5–7–9%” program, 580 billion hryvnia in loans have already been issued since the program’s inception. 457 companies have already insured their property under the loss compensation program administered by the Export-Credit Agency, with a potential payout of over 9 billion hryvnia. The next step is a broader system of war risk insurance, to which the state plans to allocate $1 billion and attract an additional $3 billion from international partners.
Among the external challenges are the tightening of EU trade restrictions on Ukrainian exporters, particularly producers of metallurgical and agricultural products. Business representatives spoke of reduced access to the European market, while Ukraine’s representative to the EU, Taras Kachka, discussed accelerating integration into the EU’s internal market and expanding the industrial visa-free regime.
The labor shortage also remains acute. Experts estimate migration losses at approximately 5 million people, while businesses are facing a shortage of skilled workers. Among possible solutions, participants discussed dual education and creating conditions to encourage Ukrainians to return by offering jobs and affordable housing.
The overall business sentiment at KIEF is cautious but pragmatic. The impact of the attacks varies by industry, but companies agree on the need to hope for the best while remaining prepared for various scenarios. Companies are reviewing safety protocols, setting up shelters, and developing their own response systems. In particular, Vyacheslav Klimov, co-owner of the NOVA Group, said that “Nova Poshta” has implemented its own air defense project, which has already shot down Russian drones. Companies are also developing their own fire departments.
“The top priority for Ukrainian businesses is how to adapt to the new challenges of the war and get through this winter. It’s not easy for anyone, so it’s especially important to support one another. If I need services or partners, I turn first and foremost
to Ukrainian companies. This is a matter of principle: by buying goods and services from one another, we support businesses, preserve jobs, and help our economy survive,” emphasized Vasyl Khmelnytsky, initiator of the Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF) and founder of the UFuture holding company.
The business community’s main requests to the government are predictable regulations, insurance against war risks, and solutions to the labor shortage. Businesses have learned to operate amid constant threats, but the costs of security and recovery are limiting opportunities for new investments.
“We have held the KIEF both under pandemic restrictions and after the start of the full-scale invasion. This year, the question of how not only to keep businesses running during the war but also to avoid losing opportunities for development has become particularly acute. There are no ready-made solutions to all problems, so it is important to combine business expertise with the capabilities of the government and international partners,” said KMEF CEO Yuriy Pivovarov.
Title partners of the forum: UFuture, Mastercard, AEQUO, PrivatBank, Kyivstar
Forum partners: Sense Bank, NEQSOL Holding, PUMB, DTEK, Ajax Systems, Uklon, General Chereshnya, Biopharma, Eclectic Talents Group, TERWIN, CEO Club Ukraine, BALEX, Naftogaz Group.
Open4Business is the forum’s media partner.
The British government has announced that it will provide Ukraine with an additional 10 billion pounds in aid, according to Valeriy Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“This money will go toward strengthening Ukraine’s air defense this winter, expanding British export capabilities to meet Ukraine’s military needs, and providing economic support to our country over the next three years,” he wrote on Facebook.
According to the ambassador, the UK will also continue to apply sanctions pressure on Russia to force Vladimir Putin to “finally take negotiations seriously as a genuine peace process, rather than issuing ultimatums.”
“This British aid does more than just help Ukraine continue the fight. It is a boost to resilience at a time when the enemy is trying to force us to surrender by terrorizing peaceful cities,” Zaluzhny emphasized.
He thanked British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the government, and the people of the United Kingdom for their support.
According to Experts.news, Ukrainians’ total debt to microfinance organizations (MFOs) reached 32.32 billion UAH as of July 1, 2026, an increase of 17%—or 4.7 billion UAH—since the beginning of the year. At the same time, the number of court cases filed by the largest players in the microcredit market rose significantly in 2026, according to data from the analytical service “OpenDataBot” published on September 1 and October 28.
According to statistics from the National Bank of Ukraine, during the first half of 2026, the population entered into 4,196,309 contracts with microfinance organizations totaling 37.5 billion UAH.
At the same time, the number of loans issued did not change significantly compared to last year and amounted to approximately 700,000 contracts per month.
The main change is related to an increase in the average loan amount.
In the second quarter of 2026, it reached 9,170 UAH, compared to approximately 6,290 UAH during the same period in 2025. Thus, the average microloan increased by nearly one and a half times.
At the same time, the total debt of the population to MFIs continued to grow.
As of the end of 2022, microloan debt stood at approximately 8 billion UAH. However, starting in 2023, this figure began to rise, exceeding 32 billion UAH by mid-2026.
The growth in lending volumes has been accompanied by an increase in revenue for the largest microfinance companies.
According to OpenDataBot, the combined revenue of Ukraine’s ten largest MFIs for January–June 2026 totaled 12.78 billion UAH, while their combined profit amounted to 1.16 billion UAH.
“Ukr Credit Finance,” operating under the CreditKasa brand, took first place in terms of revenue with 1.99 billion UAH. The company’s profit amounted to 172.6 million UAH.
“E Groshi” took second place in revenue among MFOs with 1.85 billion UAH, while “Spotzhyvchyi Tsentr,” operating under the “ShvydkoGroshi” brand, took third place with 1.52 billion UAH.
At the same time, “Spotzhyvchyi Tsentr” was the most profitable company among the top ten MFOs, with a profit of 361.3 million UAH for the first half of the year.
According to the ranking of corporate plaintiffs published on October 28, “Ukr Credit Finance” also ranks first in Ukraine in terms of the number of new court cases.
In the first half of 2026, 80,421 cases were filed based on its claims, compared to approximately 23,000 for the entire year of 2025.
“Consumer Center” ranks second with 68,076 cases, which is 36% more than in the full previous year.
Thus, the two companies, which are among the largest players in the microcredit market in terms of financial indicators, have also become leaders in the number of court cases filed.
Vasyl Krat, a judge on the Supreme Court of Ukraine, attributes the high number of credit disputes, in particular, to the lack of a fully-fledged out-of-court mechanism that would simultaneously ensure the collection of legitimate debts and protect citizens from excessive interest rates.
He also draws attention to the financial difficulties faced by the population amid a full-scale war, when the loss of income and property increases the need for short-term loans but simultaneously limits the ability to repay them.
At the same time, debt indicators and the number of court cases cannot be directly equated.
MFI statistics reflect borrowers’ aggregate financial obligations as of a specific date, whereas the ranking of corporate plaintiffs takes into account the number of pending court cases. It does not include data on the amounts of claims, their resolution, or the amounts actually recovered.
Furthermore, the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the growth in debt to MFIs and the number of lawsuits filed against specific companies.
At the same time, the combination of an increase in the average size of microloans, total household debt, and creditors’ litigation activity indicates the growing significance of the consumer debt problem for Ukraine’s financial market.
Microfinance organizations are participants in the non-bank financial market and primarily provide short-term consumer loans to the public. The National Bank of Ukraine regulates and supervises their activities.
Sources: “OpenDataBot,” microcredit statistics as of September 1, 2026; “OpenDataBot,” ranking of corporate plaintiffs as of October 28, 2026; Supreme Court of Ukraine, commentary on interest rates on consumer loans.
