Seed Imports: Ukraine Purchased the Most from the EU and the USA
In 2024, Ukraine purchased seeds of grain and oilseed crops, sugar beets, and vegetables from European Union countries for a total of $200 million. The share of the EU in seed imports was 52.5%.
This is reported by AgroReview
According to the press service of the National Scientific Center “Institute of Agrarian Economics”, 19% of imports came from the United States of America, with seeds imported worth $72.6 million.
The lion’s share of grain seed imports — 95.8% — consisted of hybrid corn, with a volume reaching 7.6 thousand tons. Additionally, 0.7 thousand tons of wheat seeds, 0.3 thousand tons of barley, 42 tons of rye, and 32 tons of sorghum were purchased. The main suppliers of grain crop seeds to Ukraine were France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and Italy.
Main Importers of Oilseed Seeds
The share of sunflower seeds in oilseed seed imports is 81.5%, with a volume reaching 17.4 thousand tons. Additionally, 4.1 thousand tons of rapeseed and 0.7 thousand tons of soybeans were purchased.
“About 80% of domestic imports are accounted for by the purchase of grain and oilseed seeds. In monetary terms, sunflower seeds make up the lion’s share — 55% — of domestic seed material imports. Last year, $211.1 million was spent on them,” the institute noted.
More than three-quarters of sunflower seeds were purchased by Ukraine from the USA — 5.5 thousand tons for $72.5 million (34.3%) and from Turkey — 7.9 thousand tons for $85.7 million (40.6%). From France, 1.9 thousand tons were imported for $24.8 million (11.7%), from Italy — 0.6 thousand tons for $4.7 million (2.2%), and from Hungary — 0.4 thousand tons for $5.0 million (2.4%).
Volumes of Corn and Other Crop Seed Purchases
It is noted that only one-tenth of the total amount of seed purchases — $41.4 million — was spent in 2024 on the acquisition of corn. The main suppliers of corn to Ukraine were France (2.7 thousand tons for $19.8 million), Romania (1.7 thousand tons for $6.4 million), Austria (1.6 thousand tons for $7.5 million), and Hungary (1.1 thousand tons for $3.9 million). In Germany, 68 tons of corn were purchased for $1.0 million, and in Italy — 131 tons for $0.4 million.
Soybean seeds worth $2.9 million were imported from Canada (270 tons — 38% of soybean imports), Austria (186 tons), Romania (119 tons), and France (89 tons). In 2024, rapeseed purchases increased by $4.6 million compared to 2023 — to $45.2 million. The main suppliers of rapeseed were Germany (1.7 thousand tons for $17.6 million), France (1.1 thousand tons for $12.4 million), and Spain (0.9 thousand tons for $11.7 million). For the first time since Ukraine’s independence, New Zealand supplied its own seeds — 209 tons for $1.9 million.
There is also an increase in the volumes of niche crop seed purchases, such as sorghum, flax, hemp, and mustard, with the main suppliers being European Union countries, particularly France, Germany, and Denmark.