UAC News

The war in Ukraine, the escalating conflict in the Middle East, and accelerating climate change are increasingly affecting global food security. Today's challenges demonstrate that the stability of the global food market depends not only on agricultural production but also on resilient logistics, reliable critical infrastructure, and effective international cooperation.

This was emphasized by Pavlo Koval, Director General of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC), commenting to GlobalWatch on the growing risks facing the global agricultural sector.

According to Koval, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a turning point for the global food supply system. The blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports in 2022 exposed the vulnerability of international food supply chains. The simultaneous surge in grain, energy, fertilizer, and transportation costs quickly affected markets across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Pavlo Koval, Director General of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC), provided an in-depth analysis of Ukraine’s spring sowing campaign during an interview on Ukrainian Radio. The discussion focused on the impact of abnormal weather conditions, the escalating labor shortage, and diverging forecasts for the upcoming harvest. Below is an extended summary of the key points from the interview.

— Mr. Koval, how have this spring’s weather conditions affected the sowing campaign schedule? How critical is the delay?

The third Ukraine - The Netherlands Agricultural Dialogue (UANLAD) took place on 30 and 31 March, 2026 in Breda, The Netherlands. The UANLAD is co-organized by the Ukrainian National Agrarian Forum UNAF and the Netherlands Farmers’ and Growers’ Association LTO NEDERLAND with full support and encouragement of the  Ministries of Agriculture of both countries.

The third UANLAD event was opened by Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Mr Taras Kachka, LTO President Mr Ger Koopmans, UNAF director Ms Mariia Didukh and senior Ukrainian and Dutch government representatives. Ambassadors Mr Andrii Kostin and Mr Alle Dorhout were also present at the meeting.

The President of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, Leonid Kozachenko, in an interview with Ukrainian Radio, analyzed the key challenges faced by Ukrainian farmers during this year’s spring field campaign. He spoke about the impact of mined territories on overall harvest volumes, export difficulties caused by European quotas and border protests, and shared forecasts regarding food prices and domestic food security.