Ukraine Increases Areas for Sunflower and Rapeseed, Reducing Soybean Plantings in the 2026/27 Marketing Year

In the upcoming marketing year, Ukraine plans to significantly expand the areas for sunflower and rapeseed while reducing soybean plantings. According to the FAS forecast in the annual oilseed review, sunflower production in the 2026/27 marketing year is expected to reach 12.8 million tons, which is 16% higher than last year’s figure. Rapeseed volumes will increase by 25% to 4 million tons. In contrast, soybean production will decrease by 5% to 4.7 million tons.

This is reported by AgroReview

Structure of Sown Areas and Harvest Dynamics

The total area allocated for oilseeds in the 2026/27 marketing year is projected at 8.6 million hectares, which corresponds to the average figures of the last five years. According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, 1.3 million hectares of winter rapeseed have already been sown, which is 11% more than the previous year.

The remaining area will be distributed between sunflowers and soybeans. Sunflower sowings are expected to reach 5.4 million hectares, which is 6% more than last year’s figure. At the same time, the area for soybeans will decrease to 1.8 million hectares, which is 11% less than last year.

Export, Processing, and Oil Production

It is forecasted that in the 2026/27 marketing year, sunflower seed exports from Ukraine will amount to 30,000 tons, which is 14% less than in the 2025/26 season. Soybean exports to foreign markets will decrease to 1.7 million tons (-15%), and rapeseed exports will drop to 2 million tons (-5%).

The FAS notes that the combination of export duties on soybeans and rapeseed, excess processing capacity, and a shortage of sunflower seeds contributed to the increase in soybean and rapeseed processing in the 2025/26 marketing year. This trend is expected to continue into the 2026/27 marketing year.

The total processing capacity of enterprises in Ukraine remains at around 20 million tons per year. This figure includes both large factories and small cold-press workshops in rural areas.

Sunflower oil production in the 2026/27 marketing year is projected at 5.5 million tons, which is 15% higher year-on-year. Soybean oil production will decrease by 3% to 551,000 tons, while rapeseed oil production will increase by 25% to 820,000 tons. Sunflower processing will rise to 12.7 million tons, which is 1.7 million tons more than last year. Rapeseed processing will grow to 2 million tons (+900,000 tons), while soybean processing will decrease to 3 million tons (-100,000 tons).

Ukraine will remain the world’s largest exporter of sunflower oil. In the 2026/27 marketing year, export volumes of this product are forecasted at 5 million tons, which is 500,000 tons more than last season. Exports of rapeseed oil may increase by 84% to 825,000 tons, while soybean oil exports are expected to decrease by 4% to 550,000 tons.

The main market for Ukrainian oilseeds and oil remains the European Union. At the same time, domestic demand for vegetable oils, especially sunflower oil, is declining due to the population decrease related to the ongoing war with Russia, which has now lasted for four years.