Record buckwheat harvest: challenges and prospects of Ukraine

In the 2023 season, Ukraine can rightfully be proud of its record buckwheat harvest, which amounted to about 207.4 thousand tons. This is almost twice the annual consumption of the country. According to the Ministry of Agricultural Policy, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytsky regions became the leaders in buckwheat cultivation this year, which together threshed more than 23,000 tons of this grain crop, and Sumy region stands out with its output of more than 28,000 tons.

According to Taras Vysotskyi, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy, currently there is a surplus of buckwheat in Ukraine, which causes joy among consumers, but farmers express concern about a sharp drop in prices, which may affect the profitability of their products and future crop rotations.

To find a way out of the situation, producers are considering the possibility of exporting buckwheat. Now there is an increased demand for this product in Europe, thanks to the millions of Ukrainian refugees living there. This led to an increase in the export of buckwheat and the entry of the Ukrainian product into the European market.

Despite the war, Ukraine remains a key player in the world food market, with government support. All restrictions on the export of buckwheat have already been canceled, which allows the country to actively interact with the international consumer.

According to Taras Vysotskyi, the maritime corridor, which became effective in September, now plays an important role for Ukraine. The successful operation of the corridor makes it possible to increase the number of ships arriving at the ports of Greater Odessa, which is an encouraging signal for Ukrainian producers regarding the future export of buckwheat.