Ukrainian Ag Minister sees Big Fall in 2022 Corn Harvest, Smaller Area in 2023
Ukraine’s corn production could fall to 22 MMT to 23 MMT this year from 41.9 MMT in 2021 because of a reduction in the harvested area caused by Russia’s invasion, Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky told Reuters. The ag ministry previously said it expected to harvest around 25 MMT of grain this year. Solsky said farmers, facing a lack of fuel and funds, had left a lot of corn in their fields. These areas could be harvested by spring, but “it means less volume and worse grain quality.”
As of Dec. 15, farmers had harvested 18.4 MMT of corn from 70% of planted acreage. Ukraine harvested 19.4 MMT of wheat and 5.6 MMT of barley this year. Total grain output stood at nearly 45 MMT.
Ukraine could export 49.2 MMT of grain in 2022-23, depending on logistics.
Solsky said a large area of unharvested corn would prevent farmers from sowing corn again on these fields, with sunflowers a possible replacement crop next spring.
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