This year's grain harvest in Kirovohrad region was better than in the previous season, according to the Office of Veterinary and Phytosanitary Safety (OVS). The 2023 harvest has begun in the region, with winter barley, peas, and rapeseed being harvested. At the moment, 40 farms have started harvesting where the weather permits.

The yield of winter barley at the beginning of the harvest is 4.8 tons per hectare, which is an improvement compared to last year, when this figure was 3.5 tons per hectare.

According to Valeriia Furmanova, head of the Department of Agricultural Development, winter barley is performing better this season compared to the previous year due to favorable spring conditions, such as precipitation and moderate temperatures, which have contributed to higher productivity.

However, the region's farms faced a shortage of skilled labor. Mobilization has resulted in a shortage of agronomists, machine operators, and drivers. This forces employees to work overtime.

According to Valeriia Furmanova, by the time the harvest began, farms were short about 200 workers of various specialties. This applies to both machine operators, agronomists and representatives of other professions. The shortage was partially corrected with the help of the employment service, but some of the jobs had to be filled by the farmers' own efforts.