Second Seeding in All-Out War: Challenges for the 2023 Season Named

In the spring, Ukraine is waiting for a second sowing in the conditions of a full-scale war. Among the problems that will haunt agrarians from last season are expensive fertilizers and a lack of working capital. The agrarians talked about the expectations and features of preparation for the 2023 sowing season.

Expensive fertilizers and lack of money for their purchase stand out among the problems that befall farmers all over Ukraine.

In addition, farmers in the de-occupied territories or in the war zone have problems related to hostilities and field mining.

At the same time, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy predicts a decrease in spring sowing area by at least 20% from the indicator in 2021. Direct factors are called: continued occupation, hostilities and minefields.

Another feature of the spring sowing will be the refusal to sow wheat in favor of oil crops. At the same time, as Deputy Minister of Agriculture Denis Marchuk noted, it should not be expected that the entire country will be sown with sunflower, rapeseed and soybeans, as there are requirements for crop rotation. But crops of niche crops will increase, and the area under buckwheat and peas will increase.

The situation is similar in the center of Ukraine. Farmers believe that the price of fertilizers does not justify the desired effect of their use.

The agrarians of the South also record a fall in sales rates. In addition, mass blocking of tax invoices prevents it from working. But they are not going to change the crop structure.

The worst situation is for farmers in de-occupied regions and those located close to the front. Shelling and mined fields add to the problems of farmers there. The emergency services do not have time to clear the mines.