Main points
- The buckwheat harvest in Ukraine in 2025 amounted to 70.8 thousand tons, which does not cover consumption needs, which are 100-110 thousand tons per year.
- Buckwheat imports to Ukraine have declined sharply since 2021, with Kazakhstan and EU countries being the dominant suppliers, and buckwheat prices increasing by 25% in 2025.
Does Ukraine need imported buckwheat in 2026 / 24 Channel
The 2025 buckwheat harvest is not able to meet the traditional level of consumption of Ukrainians, so about a third of the need is in deficit. Streams of imported buckwheat from Russia flooded the market in Ukraine before the full-scale war, but the situation has changed since then.
What is the shortage of buckwheat in Ukraine?
Ukrainians usually consume 100-110 thousand tons of buckwheat every year. However, the 2025 harvest was only 70.8 thousand tons. Svitlana Cheremisina, a researcher at the Institute of Agrarian Economics, told Channel 24 about this in a commentary.
According to the expert, the buckwheat harvest in 2025 was the lowest in the last 7 years : a similar volume was harvested in 2019 – 85 thousand tons, while in other years production increased. In 2023, it reached a record level – 210.7 thousand tons.
In 2019-2023, the buckwheat market in Ukraine grew . This was due to the increased economic attractiveness of buckwheat cultivation, in particular due to the cessation of import flows of Russian cereals and favorable price conditions.
The situation changed in 2024. Since then, the area and gross harvest of buckwheat in Ukraine have been decreasing .
The scientist says that, despite the shortage of buckwheat, it is possible to resolve the situation by the new harvest in 2026 thanks to stocks .
Svetlana Cheremisina
Doctor of Economics, Chief Researcher of the Department of Agrarian Market and International Integration of the Institute of Agrarian Economics
There is a deficit of 30-35 thousand tons. However, it should be remembered that the presence of transitional cereal residues will allow this shortage to be corrected.
As Svitlana Cheremisina notes, buckwheat imports to Ukraine have been showing a trend of sharp decline in recent years.
Where is buckwheat brought to Ukraine?
The volume of buckwheat imports to Ukraine in 2019–2025 varied significantly depending on the period. For example, in 2019, 14.4 thousand tons of cereals were imported from abroad, while in 2020, 43.9 thousand tons .
The steady decline in imports began in 2021, when 21.8 thousand tons of buckwheat were imported. In 2022, only 9 thousand tons, and in 2023 – to 0.3 thousand tons.
In 2024, imports practically stopped and amounted to only 0.04 thousand tons. Preliminary data for 2025 also indicate the preservation of minimal volumes,
– says Svetlana Cheremisina.
According to the scientist, Kazakhstan dominates the structure of buckwheat supplies to Ukraine: its share is about 45-55%. European Union countries, in particular Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia , also play a significant role. Their combined share is about 30-40%.
Interesting! As UNIAN writes, the executive director of the International Buckwheat Association, Sergey Gromovy, suggested that under the guise of Kazakh buckwheat, Russian buckwheat could be imported into Ukraine . The country borders the Altai Krai, where 50% of Russian buckwheat is grown. According to Gromovy, four new factories have been built on the border from the Kazakh side, where Russians can import the cereal and it will “become” Kazakh.
What is Ukraine's place in the global ranking of buckwheat producers?
World buckwheat production is 2-2.3 million tons per year . Ukraine ranks third in terms of volume after Russia and China.
The Russian share in buckwheat production is 45-55%, the Chinese share is 25-32%, and the Ukrainian share is 8-9% .
Russia dominates the structure of world buckwheat exports, where its share is estimated at 30-35%. China (18-22%) and the USA (8-12%) also provide significant volumes of supplies to international markets.
Note! Among European countries, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia hold the leading positions. Their total share is about 15–20%. Kazakhstan and Canada are important regional exporters.
How can the price of buckwheat in Ukraine increase in 2026?
- The cost of buckwheat for consumers increased by 25% in 2025. The most rapid increase occurred in October-December, when the price jumped to 44.88 hryvnia per kilogram.
- The price increase continues in 2026. In February, the price of buckwheat increased on average to 50.82 hryvnias per kilogram, and by the beginning of the new harvest at the end of summer, it may cost approximately 55 – 60 hryvnias .