This year's harvest in Ukraine will be smaller than it was last year. Farmers have harvested about 33 million tons of new crops. However, unfavorable weather conditions have had a negative impact on late grains and oilseeds, which could lead to losses of more than 15%. In particular, the corn harvest, if the drought continues, will not exceed 22 million tons. This situation will have a negative impact on both the income of agricultural enterprises and the export potential of Ukraine.

This problem was discussed on August 30 at a briefing at the Ukrinform media center, where Denys Marchuk, Deputy Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council, shared the interim results of the harvest and their impact on exports.

“Thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which ensured the defense and security of the humanitarian corridor, since August 16, 2023, the Ukrainian agricultural sector has been able to export more than 43 million tons of grain. This is a very cool result, given that we did it on our own, thanks to our military and international partners who help with the demining of the Black Sea,” said Denys Marchuk.

Despite the successful performance, there are still some challenges regarding export of agricultural products from Ukraine.

“In this new marketing year, we have managed to sell more than 7 million tons of agricultural products, which is 60% more than in the same period last year. However, 10 million tons decrease in the corn harvest due to the weather will affect exports,” added the UAC Deputy Chairman.

Asia, Africa and the Middle East remain the traditional markets for Ukrainian products. At the same time, Ukraine's presence in the EU has significantly increased due to the possibility of duty-free trade.

 “We have increased our presence in the European Union, selling more than 15 million tons of corn, trading with countries such as Germany, Spain and Italy. This is an important impetus for increasing exports of not only raw materials but also value-added food products,” emphasized Denys Marchuk.

The quota restrictions on exports to the EU are also significant for Ukrainian producers.

 “We have already exhausted quotas for some products, such as honey, oats, eggs, sugar, and may soon exhaust quotas for chicken. However, no such a reduction is for the grain group. The drought has also affected the EU, and no surplus of grain is expected there,” said Denys Marchuk.

The UAC Deputy Chairman shared his expectations: “We hope that in the new marketing year, exports of Ukrainian agricultural products will exceed 40 million tons.”