Enemy strikes on port infrastructure in Greater Odesa and the Danube ports have significantly worsened Ukraine’s export capacity and are already having tangible consequences for the agricultural sector.

This was stated by Denys Marchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC), during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine.

“Due to the intensification of attacks in December–January, agricultural export indicators have deteriorated sharply. In fact, we are lagging behind last year’s volumes by 47%. Currently, about 16 million tonnes have been exported, while during the same period last year exports were 6 million tonnes higher,” he noted.

Despite strong production performance, farmers are losing profitability.

“In the 2025 marketing year, Ukraine harvested over 58 million tonnes of grain and around 17.7 million tonnes of oilseeds. This is a solid result, but without stable exports these volumes turn into additional storage costs for farmers. Ukraine has failed to reach its planned export targets, which means losses in foreign currency earnings and farm incomes,” Denys Marchuk emphasized.

Such conditions negatively affect the timely financing of producers’ preparations for the new sowing campaign.

“Winter is traditionally a period of resource accumulation for the sowing campaign — purchasing seeds, fuel, and crop protection products. However, due to complicated logistics, additional insurance costs, and declining revenues, many farms are experiencing a shortage of working capital. The final price received by producers is decreasing, which directly affects their readiness for the spring campaign. The cost of the 2026 sowing campaign may increase by approximately 15% compared to the previous year,” added the Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council.