Publications

Taras Vysotskyi is not a new figure at the agricultural ministry. Having served as Deputy Minister for seven years, both in a separate ministry and within merged ministries, he remained a source of stability for participants in the agri-food sector.

Ukraine’s foreign trade deficit reached $28.3 billion in the first half of 2026, while demand for foreign currency remains high. Each day that Black Sea ports remain closed costs the country approximately $70 million in export revenue.

Fuel prices in Ukraine continue to rise, with the average price of diesel approaching UAH 90 per litre.

Ukrainian agricultural producers—from large-scale operations to small-scale craft producers—are paying increasing attention to safety, traceability, and transparency in production. These principles are driven not only by changes in the legislative framework as Ukraine moves toward European integration, but also by consumer demand.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming the link between data collection and decision-making in livestock farming. While farmers have invested heavily in sensors, farm management software, and automated systems over the past decade, the key challenge today is making effective use of the vast amounts of data being collected.

In June, Ukraine officially opened negotiations with the European Union under the first negotiating cluster, Fundamentals. There are hopes that all negotiating clusters will be opened by the end of the summer, including the one covering the agricultural sector — Cluster 5, which encompasses agricultural policy, food safety, and fisheries.

At the GLEK farm in the Kherson region, flax has completely replaced sunflower in the crop rotation.

Record-breaking heat across Europe has had only a limited impact on early grain crops, but corn losses are expected. Ukrainian grain could help offset these shortages, although export opportunities will largely depend on logistics.

Skeptical expectations regarding land reform have not materialized: Ukrainian soil is not being hauled away by the traincarload, and the oligarchs have not bought up all the fields. Instead, land prices are rising, and leasing has become more transparent, generating additional revenue for local communities. However, it is still difficult to use land shares as collateral.

The Kostiv farm, with a transition to organic production, which involves "economic" crop rotation, minimizes soil erosion, reduces soil compaction, and stops the loss of organic matter.

The DITASANA farm began operating in 2020 and cultivates 24 hectares of leased land in the Kharkiv region.

Ukraine’s EU membership requires the adaptation of livestock farming to stricter standards for product safety, animal welfare and environmental regulations. At the same time, the changes and innovations that agricultural producers will have to implement on farms will help raise production standards and expand export opportunities for Ukrainian products.

The war and the energy shock have transformed Ukraine’s greenhouse business, but it remains a strategically important sector. Western regions are gradually forming new greenhouse hubs. Those who focus on the latest technologies are the ones surviving. With energy costs rising to 60–70%, domestically grown greenhouse vegetables and herbs are becoming uncompetitive. In such conditions, it is cheaper to import produce.

Today, the main challenge for Ukraine’s agricultural sector is uncertainty. Farmers do not always know whether they will be able to access their fields, whether the land will be safe, whether they will have enough funds for seeds, fertilizers, feed and fuel, or whether they will be able to store and sell their harvest.

Ukraine’s integration into the European Union in the field of crop production is considered one of the most challenging areas due to the need for a fundamental transformation of regulatory frameworks and cultivation practices.

Today, staying one step ahead is no longer optional for farmers — it is a business reality. To increase productivity, reduce costs and strengthen resilience, agricultural businesses need to move beyond traditional approaches and build their operations on accurate data.