UKRAINE – The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine has unveiled its forecast for the grain and oilseed yield for 2024, projecting a significant increase in production.
According to preliminary estimates released on April 26, 2024, the anticipated rise in gross production amounts to approximately 74 million tonnes, comprising around 52.4 million tonnes of grains and 21.7 million tonnes of oilseeds.
This forecast marks a notable uptick from the previous year. In 2023, the initial estimate for total gross grain and oilseed harvest stood at 63.5 million tonnes, reflecting a decrease of almost 13% compared to the preceding period.
However, favorable weather conditions throughout the year improved yields, resulting in a gross production of about 82 million tonnes by the end of 2023. This included over 60 million tonnes of cereals and approximately 22 million tonnes of oilseeds.
While these estimates provide an early outlook, they remain subject to adjustments based on evolving conditions, particularly weather patterns, over the year.
For the upcoming harvest, Ukrainian farmers are anticipated to yield the following quantities of cereals: 19.2 million tonnes of wheat (down from 22.2 million tonnes in 2023), 4.9 million tonnes of barley (compared to 5.7 million tonnes in the previous year), and 26.7 million tonnes of maize (a decrease from 30.5 million tonnes harvested in 2023).
In the realm of oilseeds, an increase is expected in soybean production, with an estimated output of 5.2 million tonnes compared to 4.7 million tonnes in 2023. Sunflower production is forecasted to reach 12.4 million tonnes, slightly lower than last year’s 12.9 million tonnes.
Rapeseed production is expected to stand at 4.1 million tonnes, down from 4.7 million tonnes in 2023.
Regarding cultivation areas, the data indicates a slight decrease in the total area sown with cereals and pulses, estimated at 10.6 million hectares, down by 395,000 hectares compared to 2023.
Notable shifts include a reduced area sown with winter wheat and winter barley, while the area for spring wheat and spring barley is expected to see marginal increases. Similarly, the maize area is projected to decrease slightly.
Conversely, the area allocated for soybeans has significantly expanded, with an estimated 2.2 million hectares to be planted, representing an increase of nearly 400,000 hectares from the previous year.
The areas designated for sunflower and rapeseed cultivation remain relatively stable, with minor fluctuations compared to the preceding year.
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