Ukrainian farmers have started the spring sowing campaign, despite a later start due to weather and climatic conditions in certain regions. Deputy Minister of Economy Taras Vysotsky reported on the fuel and seed reserves that will ensure a successful start to the work.
The sowing campaign in Ukraine traditionally starts in the southern regions — Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, and gradually moves north. This year, starting the work took a little more time due to deep ground freezing and a prolonged snow cover in some areas. However, farmers are prepared for the spring campaign, having all the necessary resources in stock.
Taras Vysotsky noted that the increase in fuel prices does not critically affect the production economy since its share in the cost of production is only 10-15%. The impact on the final cost of production will not exceed 1-2%.
It is forecasted that the area of spring crops in 2026 will remain at the level of the previous year, particularly in frontline regions, where farmers will sow all available and safe lands. Most winter crops have successfully overwintered, with losses not exceeding 3-5%, although the situation is more challenging in some regions: in the Kirovohrad region, losses can reach 30-40%, in Vinnytsia — 20-30%, in Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Cherkasy — 10-20%.
Vysotsky emphasized that the weather conditions this winter at the national level do not threaten the country’s food security, while the state actively supports farmers, particularly through preferential lending under the “Affordable Loans 5-7-9%” program, which has been extended to the end of 2027, and in frontline regions — until the end of 2027.
Other support programs are also in effect: grants for the establishment of orchards and greenhouses, construction of vegetable storages, irrigation programs. Over the past period, about 30-40 thousand hectares of agricultural lands have been demined, which is an important step for a successful sowing campaign.
| Region | Max. winter crop losses |
|---|---|
| Kirovohrad | 30-40% |
| Vinnytsia | 20-30% |
| Dnipropetrovsk | 10-20% |
| Poltava | 10-20% |
| Cherkasy | 10-20% |
