A third of farmers lose their harvest due to poor-quality seeds or the wrong variety choice

This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by the Ukrainian Agrarian Council (UAC).

The purpose of the study was to determine what information agricultural producers lack when choosing varieties and hybrids, which sources they trust, and what tools could improve the quality of decision-making during the season.

According to the results, farmers’ key demand is for the results of field and laboratory studies, cited by 76% of respondents, as well as data on seed adaptability to the soil and climatic conditions of a specific region, cited by 69.2%. At the same time, the decisive factors in the selection process remain yield potential (83.7%), regional adaptability (80.8%), and disease resistance (64.4%).

The study revealed a systemic shortage of independent regional information on cultivation results in different zones of Ukraine, which farmers named as the main obstacle when choosing seed material.

At the same time, agricultural producers demonstrate the highest level of trust in their own practical experience, feedback from colleagues, and the results of demonstration plots. This underscores the importance of developing a system of horizontal knowledge exchange among producers, the UAC emphasized.

The survey involved 104 respondents from 19 regions of Ukraine, mainly representatives of micro, small, and medium-sized agribusinesses. Most participants (83.7%) are seed consumers and grow several crops at the same time, including corn, wheat, sunflower, rapeseed, soybeans, and barley.