Autumn sowing season is gaining momentum: over 727 thousand hectares sown in Ukraine, with rapeseed leading the way
9 September 16:35
Ukrainian farmers have officially started the fall sowing campaign. As of the beginning of September, 727.5 thousand hectares have already been sown, with winter rape taking the lion’s share. This is reported by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian".
Geography of crops
- Winter crops have been sown in 9 regions: Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Ternopil, Kherson, Chernivtsi and Chernihiv.
- The total area under winter crops is 42.2 thou hectares.
- There are some regions that have already completed sowing winter rapeseed: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Poltava and Ternopil regions.
Crop structure
- Winter wheat – 39.9 thou hectares;
- Winter barley – 1.1 thou hectares;
- Winter rye – 1.2 thou hectares;
- Winter rape – 685.3 thou hectares.
In fact, rapeseed accounts for more than 94% of all current sown areas.
Why it is important
- Winter rapeseed remains one of the most profitable crops and is a key export product of the Ukrainian agriculture.
- Sowing of winter grains is a critical stage for the 2026 harvest.
- The timely start of the campaign demonstrates the ability of the agricultural sector to operate despite the military risks and difficult weather conditions.
What experts say
Moisture deficit is dangerous
The Academy of Agricultural Sciences of Ukraine reports that soil moisture reserves are currently the lowest in seven seasons – only 79.6 mm against the average of 117 mm. This raises serious concerns about winter crop yields.
Harvest forecasts: optimism and risks
The Minister of Agrarian Policy Vitaliy Koval estimated the possible grain harvest in 2025 at 51 million tons, which is 10% less than in 2024, under unfavorable conditions.
At the same time, experts from the Institute of Agrarian Economics predict an 18-23% increase in spring grain production, including corn and millet, but they estimate that rapeseed harvest could fall by 13.1% due to changing market conditions.
Weather conditions as a decisive factor
In case of favorable weather, Reuters predicts that the wheat harvest may even increase to 22 mln tons, and corn – to 28 mln tons, which will allow to repeat the figures of 2024.
As a reminder, in 2024, farmers sowed 4.5 mln ha of winter grains and over 1.3 mln ha of rapeseed.
Due to the full-scale war, the area under crops was reduced, but Ukraine still retained its status as one of the leading exporters of grain and oilseeds in the world.
In recent years, rapeseed has become an important crop for biofuel supplies to the EU, where demand is consistently high.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy predicts that in 2025, the acreage could reach a level close to the pre-war level.
