On top of the ongoing war, Ukrainian farmers face challenges all other farmers do.
Latifundist Media has partnered with us to provide boots-on-the-ground coverage.
The new crop campaign is underway in Ukraine. Yuriy, a farmer from the Odesa region, talks about the prospects for corn harvest.
“We planted with fertilizers, but there are no records. We expect to harvest an average of 74 bushels per acre. On YouTube, people show 120 bushels or 150 per acre. We don’t have such yields.”
Yuriy’s farm is located in the south of Ukraine. Rains have only recently started here. Before that, there had been no precipitation for two months. Unfortunately, this is a typical pattern in this part of Ukraine.
But there is good news — the corn is harvested with a 13% moisture content. So there is no need to dry it at the elevator.
“The price of corn is rising gradually. A few days ago, the price at the elevator was US$ 110 per ton. Vessels have started to sail from Odesa. Maybe there will be more and more of them.”
Farmer Mykola Monashok has just started harvesting corn. His farm is located in the center of Ukraine, and the yields are better here.
“We are now harvesting corn. The yield is 200 bushels per acre. Humidity is 14%. So everything is fine. But it’s too early to judge the results, as these are only the first fields. In other fields, the yield maybe half as much.”
Growers in Ukraine have harvested more than 2,5 billion bushels of new crops, including 670 million bushels of corn.
The Ukrainian Grain Association has improved its crop forecasts for the fourth time. According to its estimates, Ukraine will harvest 3,2 billion bushels of grains and oilseeds.
And this is higher than in 2022.
“The consistent increase in this year’s harvest forecast is driven by favorable weather conditions and better crop yields. This time, the harvest is improved due to the increase in the expected yield of corn and sunflower.”
In the new season, exports from Ukraine may well reach around 1.9 billion bushels.
That report was powered by Latifundist Media, with USAID support provided through Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities (AGRO) Activity implemented in Ukraine by Chemonics International. For more information, visit their website or follow them on social media.
