Ukrainian farmers, who provide foreign currency earnings and food security for the country in difficult wartime conditions, are facing a new threat - Ukrzaliznytsia's intention to increase the cost of freight transportation.

This was stated during the broadcast of “Yedyni Novyny” by the UAC Deputy Chairman Denys Marchuk:

"The harvest is continuing in Ukraine. Currently, almost 90% of the planned area has been harvested. Due to weather conditions, some of the corn still remains in the fields, but we expect to harvest about 60 million tons of grain and about 20 million tons of oilseeds — figures that exceed last year's. At the same time, the question of effective exports arises, as their pace has slowed down. Compared to last year, we are lagging behind by about 6 million tons. The reason is both delays in field work and enemy strikes on port infrastructure.

At the same time, the planned increase in Ukrzaliznytsia tariffs could be critical for farmers. It is expected that from January 1, 2026, transportation will become 27% more expensive, and in six months, tariffs will increase by another 11%.

This approach is unfair and economically unjustified.

“Agricultural products are already the most expensive to transport, while the construction and coal industries are effectively subsidized by the state. According to UAA estimates, the additional financial burden on producers due to the new tariffs will amount to more than USD200 million per year,” emphasized Denys Marchuk.

The UAC has already appealed to the Prime Minister of Ukraine to immediately intervene in the situation and prevent the adoption of decisions that will undermine the competitiveness of Ukrainian exports and the financial stability of producers.