Most of the Ukrainian pea harvest in 2024 will be exported

Most of the Ukrainian pea harvest in 2024 will be exported. This was stated by Antonina Skliarenko, the head of the Pulses Association of Ukraine.

“In 2024, Ukraine will harvest at least 400 thsd tonnes of peas. The average yield of pulses is 2.3 c/ha, while some producers harvest up to 3 c/ha. Before the war, domestic consumption of peas was 65-75 thousand tons, now it is half that. Ukraine consumes no more than 40 thousand tons of pulses, the rest is exported,” said the head of the specialized association.

In Ukraine, the area under peas will continue to grow in 2025.

“This year, we expect farmers to plant more than 160 thousand hectares of peas. Unfortunately, the mined and occupied territories will be excluded from the economic turnover. The two main factors affecting the increase in acreage are export opportunities to India and China. In March, the purchase prices have already increased by UAH 2 thousand per ton compared to the pre-New Year’s figures. However, prices will be highest when Ukrainian peas are shipped to the Chinese market, which is a premium market. Therefore, the area of pulses is growing and will increase even more in the next season of 2025,” said Antonina Skliarenko.

The export of pea products is also a promising area for Ukrainian producers.

“In addition to India and China, Ukrainian peas are exported to Pakistan, Turkey, and the EU. Our producers have started to process peas into split peas, which is a more interesting product in terms of price and is in demand in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. We need to work with the markets: farmers need to go to international exhibitions, learn from experience and establish new contacts,” the expert believes.

Tags: Ukraine, pea