Ukrainian farmers will sow 22–23 million hectares with crops in 2026, if the front line does not change significantly. This opinion was expressed by Pavlo Koval, Director General of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, in an interview with Mind.
He noted that almost 6 million hectares of the indicated area have already been sown with winter crops: 570 thousand hectares of winter barley and 1.1 million hectares of winter rapeseed, about 70 thousand hectares of winter rye and 4.8 million hectares of wheat.
This week, the Commission adopted nine further acts under the CAP’s secondary legislation to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and regulatory burden, in line with its commitment to simplification and to strengthening the competitiveness of the farming sector and the wider agri-food value chain.
Ukraine imported 3.285 million tons of fertilizers in 2025, which is 13% more than a year earlier.
“Growth occurred in almost all types of fertilizers, but the supply of nitrogen fertilizers increased significantly,” analysts note.
And they add that the market has significant transitional reserves of fertilizers in certain very important groups.
Recent applied trials initiated by Tom Murray, Technical Manager: Fresh Fruit and Horticulture at Woolworths South Africa, are providing new insight into how light frequency, trap placement, and operating schedules can significantly influence insect pest capture in protected cropping systems. Conducted with research partners and growers, the work focuses on refining light-based attraction systems for key greenhouse and field pests, including thrips, Tuta absoluta, and several moth species.
Scientists have found that the wheat yield plateau in northwestern Europe is driven primarily by agronomic management rather than climatic conditions. The findings come from a study by Wageningen University and Research, published in the scientific journal Nature Food.
We are actively looking at new models and developing our own models to utilize some of the artificial intelligence and machine learning to really help us provide an initial look at drought across the country, pulling in the right indicators for the right regions and for the right time of year,” said Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture Canada, who helps lead the drought monitor along with David Lee.
Russia is deliberately targeting Ukraine’s vegetable oil sector, carrying out systematic strikes on processing plants, ports, and infrastructure. Against this backdrop, vegetable oil prices have surged, with sunflower oil FOB six ports reaching their highest level since August 2022.
Over the past three weeks, there have been at least nine strikes on processing facilities and port infrastructure. According to market participants, about 25% of processing capacity is currently idle due to logistical disruptions, power supply problems, and security risks.
As of January 8, sunflower oil FOB six European ports — Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Dunkirk, and Dieppe — rose to around $1,409 per ton for February shipments, up $80 per ton from mid-December levels. This is the highest price since August 2022.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a plan for emergency response and rapid recovery of Ukraine’s agricultural sector for 2026–2028.
The document identifies priority measures to protect rural income sources, restore production potential, and support the country’s agri-food sector.
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky said that the war has seriously complicated the lives of Ukrainian farmers – from access to land and machinery to the ability to market their products. The agricultural sector remains critical for food security, employment, and economic stability.
The introduction of export duties on soybeans and rapeseed has had a tangible effect: the utilization of processing capacities has increased to the maximum level in recent years. This is reported by the Ministry of Economy and Agriculture of Ukraine.
“In terms of stimulating processing, the effect is there – and it is measurable. Capacity utilization has increased, oilseed processing is currently at the maximum level in recent years. This indicates that the market has reacted exactly as was laid down in the logic of the norm,” said Oleksiy Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
According to him, the Ministry of Economy is building a policy where crops grown in Ukraine are more profitable to process domestically than to export raw materials and only then export processed products. This approach is aimed at moving away from the model of a raw material economy.