Buckwheat prices in Ukraine continue to rise due to decreased harvest
In Ukraine, there has been a 15% decrease in buckwheat harvest compared to last year, which has caused a rush in demand and a potential increase in market prices. The reasons for these trends have been the reduction in production areas and artificially created hype.
Speaking at the Agro2Food Profit forum in Kyiv, the director of the Ukrainian Milling Union, Rodion Rybchynsky, reported on the decrease in the buckwheat harvest this year. He emphasized that buckwheat stocks have sharply decreased since farmers are deciding on their own what is profitable to sow, and these decisions affect the availability of the product. According to data published on October 29, this season, farmers reduced the area under buckwheat to 69.1 thousand hectares, which is significantly less than 90.3 thousand hectares the previous year.
This week, information about the rise in buckwheat prices appeared online, which triggered a mass purchasing of the product in supermarkets. As a result, the processing plants’ warehouses have been left without stocks, and farmers have decided not to sell the product, betting on further price increases to 40 UAH/kg. Rybchynsky urged Ukrainians not to fall for the artificially created media and social media hype.
Experts note that demand surges for buckwheat occur in Ukraine consistently every three to four years. Among the negative consequences of this situation are unexpected price fluctuations, which are not always justified by market conditions. Previous similar situations indicate the temporary nature of price increases, after which the market gradually stabilizes.
| Year | Area under buckwheat (thousand hectares) | Harvest (thousand tons) |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 90.3 | 126.9 |
| 2025 | 69.1 | 83.3 |
