Main points
- The sowing campaign in Ukraine starts late due to weather conditions, but farmers are provided with the necessary resources.
- Losses of winter crops are largely insignificant, and weather conditions do not pose risks to Ukraine's food security.
Sowing in Ukraine / Photo by Pexels
The spring sowing campaign is starting in Ukraine, although this year field work will start a little later than usual. Despite the weather difficulties, farmers are well-equipped and ready to actively go out into the fields.
Sowing will start late
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Taras Vysotsky said that the spring sowing campaign is starting in Ukraine, reports “Suspilne”. In most regions, field work this year will begin a little later than on average in previous years.
The reason was weather conditions – deeper soil freezing and longer snow cover in some regions. At the same time, farmers are already entering the active phase of field work and have the necessary supplies of fuel, seeds, and other resources.
According to him, agricultural producers are provided with key resources for sowing for at least several weeks, and in some cases, for several months.
Farmers have a stock of basic resources for the spring sowing for at least several weeks, and often for several months. This is necessary, because agricultural production has a long cycle: one harvest per year requires careful preparation in advance. Fuel for field work is also purchased in advance, so there is no shortage of resources at the start of the sowing season,
– Taras Vysotsky noted.
He added that the possible increase in fuel prices has not yet had a significant impact on the economy of production. The share of fuel in the cost of individual crops is approximately 10 to 15 percent, so even in the event of a price increase, its impact on the final cost of production is estimated at only 1 to 2 percent.
What are the forecasts for the 2026 sowing season?
Traditionally, the sowing campaign begins in the southern regions of Ukraine – in Mykolaiv, Odessa, and Dnipropetrovsk regions – and gradually moves to the north of the country.
According to estimates by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, the area sown with spring crops in 2026 will not change significantly and will remain approximately at the level of last year. This also applies to frontline regions, where farmers plan to sow all available and safe land.
Most winter crops have successfully overwintered. In most regions, losses do not exceed 3 to 5 percent, and in some places they are not at all. However, in several regions the situation is more complicated. In particular, in Kirovohrad region, losses can amount to up to 30–40 percent of winter crops, in Vinnytsia – up to 20–30 percent, and in Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Cherkasy regions – up to 10–20 percent.
Even in regions with higher losses, this does not pose a threat to farm operations, as winter crops usually only account for 20–30 percent of the crop structure. In terms of total production, the losses will be much smaller,
– explained Taras Vysotsky.
According to him, in general, the weather conditions this winter do not pose any risks to Ukraine's food security.
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