Sowing-2026: 14% of Areas Planted in Ukraine, Farmers Increasing Pace

Ukrainian farmers have returned to active work in the fields after Easter, and the sowing campaign for 2026 is gradually gaining momentum. As of April 7, 828 thousand hectares of spring grains and legumes have already been sown, which constitutes 14% of the planned area for the current year.

This is reported by AgroReview

Starting with a Delay: Reasons for the Delay and Current Situation

This year’s sowing began nearly two weeks later compared to last year. The reasons include low temperatures, soil freezing, and the delay of the snow cover until the end of March. For example, last year, at the same date, the pace of plan execution was 35% higher. Currently, farmers have sown: spring barley — 420.9 thousand hectares, peas — 186.1 thousand hectares, spring wheat — 111.1 thousand hectares, oats — 86.5 thousand hectares. Additionally, in some regions, the sowing of technical crops has already begun: sugar beets in Volyn, Lviv, and Ternopil regions. The fastest work is being carried out in Odesa, Ternopil, and Mykolaiv regions.

Plans for the Season and Main Challenges

It is planned that the total area for sowing spring grains and legumes this year will be 6 million hectares. In particular, corn will occupy 4.4 million hectares, sunflowers — 5 million hectares, and soybeans — 2 million hectares.

“The National Bank of Ukraine does not expect a significant reduction in areas despite the rising costs of fuel and fertilizers — the profitability of the agricultural sector remains sufficient. The main risk now is moisture. After a dry March, the soil in the southern regions is drying out faster than necessary. If April is dry — the sowing pace may slow down, and the quality of the seedlings may deteriorate.”

According to the forecast of the National Bank of Ukraine, the grain harvest in 2026 may reach 62.9 million tons. However, achieving this result remains dependent on weather conditions, particularly precipitation in the second half of April. If the month turns out to be dry, the sowing may be prolonged, and the quality of the future harvest may decrease.