Ukraine. The largest increase in acreage is expected under soybeans

Planted areas under oilseeds in Ukraine this season are likely to increase by 112% compared to last year. More growth is expected for soybeans – by 136% more, sunflower areas will grow by 108% compared to last year’s areas.

This forecast was voiced by analysts of the Kyiv office of USDA at the international conference EURO GRAIN HUB Exchange & Forum, held on April 26-28 in Bucharest. The event was organized by UkrAgroConsult (Ukraine), AgriPortal (Romania) and AgroPortal (Bulgaria).

The area under cereals will decrease by about 20.4%. Farmers will “cut” most of all on rye and least on wheat. It is predicted that corn will be sown less by 22%, so the total area under crops may reach 3.3 million hectares.

Leading analyst at UkrAgroConsult Marina Marinich estimates sunflower production in 2023 at 13.3 million tons. In 2022 the crop will be 11 million tons. In general, the company estimates the future harvest of oilseeds at 21.4 million tons.

“As for the quality of grain, I am sure that all large holdings are 100% provided with high-quality seeds. As for small and medium-sized companies, I can’t be 100% sure, but I know the mentality of Ukrainian farmers: if they have tried high-quality seeds, it will be very difficult to go back to the worst versions. So, most likely, in autumn we will see that the whole harvest will be of good quality” – said Marina Marinich.

To remind, the volume of sunflower export from Ukraine in season 2023/24 could reach about 1.4 million tons. This is 39% less than in the previous year.

Tags: Ukraine, sunflower, soybean, sown area, sowing