Ukraine Farmers See Crop Production and Exports Reduced a Year After the Russian Invasion Began

Ukraine agricultural production and grain exports came to a halt when Russia invaded on Feb. 24, 2022.  A year after the invasion many farmers are on the frontlines fighting while still trying to run their operations.  They’re fighting for democracy, their country and to reclaim their land and the production they’ve lost. 

Farming has been difficult in the middle of a war, but farmers such as Nick Gordiichuk, who lives near Kiev, have persevered. He says it took a couple of weeks to clear the land mines from his fields just to plant.  As a result, farmers seeded fewer acres, focusing on potatoes, sunflowers and winter wheat. 

"Many farmers reduced areas under winter crops, so we have about 40% decrease, for two reasons: One was we were not sure about the functioning of the corridor as well as weather conditions as we had a wet fall," he says.

USDA estimates the conflict areas of Ukraine account for 46% of overall crop production. About 6.84 million hectares of winter grains were planted in that area verses 10.3 million in 2021.   

Spring planting intentions are also uncertain due to the ongoing fighting and the price and availability of inputs.

Today many farmers are looking at the crops that are very easy to plant and do not require much fertilizer," Gordiichuk says. "Many farmers this season are focusing on soybeans or sunflowers. That's where I see there will be increased production, rather than corn."

Exports were halted until the signing of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 22.  Even with the corridor, Ukraine grain exports are far below pre-invasion volumes. However, farmers still feel it's been effective. 

Gordiichuck says since August they’ve exported 21 million tons of grains out of the corridor. Critical negotiations on the export deal are coming up, and Ukraine is asking for a one-year extension, plus an additional port to help with the inspections that have been slowed in recent weeks. 

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