The financial reserve of Ukrainian farmers has more than halved due to export problems

The financial reserve of agricultural producers in Ukraine has decreased from approximately $5 billion to $2 billion since the beginning of 2026 amid restrictions on the export of agricultural products.

This was announced by the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Taras Vysotskyi, during a weekly briefing.

According to him, at the beginning of the year, farmers had an average of about $250 of financial resources per hectare to cover current production costs. For an area of ​​​​approximately 20 million hectares under grain and oilseed crops, this corresponded to about $5 billion.

However, after the export restrictions from mid-July, this figure decreased. As of October 1, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy estimated the financial reserve of farmers at about $100 per hectare, or about $2 billion in total.

By the end of the year, producers will also have expenses for autumn sowing, fuel, fertilizers and land lease. According to the ministry’s forecast, the profitability of crop production by the end of 2026 will be close to zero.

Vysotskyi noted that the situation with the spring sowing campaign will largely depend on the recovery of agricultural exports. If export opportunities remain limited, farms will have to reduce spending on fertilizers, plant protection products and other production needs.

Separately, the minister reported that the draft state budget for 2027 after the first reading provides UAH 5.5 billion to support the agricultural sector.

Earlier, USM reported that Ukraine is asking Moldova to extend the transit discount in 2027.