Spring Sowing Campaign in Ukraine Will Cost Farmers 200 Billion UAH
This year’s spring sowing campaign for Ukrainian farmers will cost approximately 200 billion UAH. This was stated by the General Director of the “Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation,” Pavlo Koval, in a comment to “Ukrainian Radio.”
This is reported by AgroReview
He noted that practically all regions of Ukraine have already begun spring fieldwork, during which they plan to sow up to 6 million hectares for spring grain crops. According to the expert, the structure of the crops is not expected to change significantly this season. At the same time, soybean sowing will likely decrease, as last year’s harvest of 6 million tons significantly lowered prices for this crop.
Forecasts for Corn and Sunflower Sowing
“I think that corn sowing will slightly increase — by 400-500 thousand hectares, maybe even more. Sunflower will remain at the same level, but we will definitely reduce soybean sowing, as we need to consider the efficiency per hectare,” explained Pavlo Koval.
Challenges for Farmers: Lack of Moisture
The expert also pointed out that this year farmers will face serious challenges due to a lack of moisture. “There is little water for both spring and winter crops. There are no floods or waterlogging. On one hand, this can be good, but on the other hand, the ground did not freeze, and all the drops of rain or snow were quickly absorbed. This year we note that practically across the entire territory of the country, the soil has emerged from winter with cracks,” he stated, indicating problems not only in the southern regions but also in Ternopil and Volyn regions.
Despite this, Koval predicts that the availability of mineral fertilizers for sowing will remain at the level of previous years. “I would like it to be better, but prices for ammonium nitrate and UAN range from 25 thousand UAH at different times. The availability of material and technical resources across Ukraine varies. The highest level is in the south, while it is lower in the north. It is clear that sales will be “off the wheels.” This product is available in warehouses, as well as with distributors and in the warehouses of European suppliers. If necessary, it will be supplied, and within our financial capabilities, we will use it in our technology,” he concluded.