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This year’s sowing will be the most difficult since World War II, says Anush Balyan, vice president of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences. After a cool March, the academician predicts that sowing in the south of Ukraine will begin in about a week. According to him, it is largely prevented by fighting on the territory and mining of a large part of our lands.
«Even today, Ukraine has enough products. We have a five-year supply of sunflower oil and 1.5 years of sugar reserves. Of the required eight million tons of wheat a year, we now have six million, and also corn for two years. We need to weed out at least 15 million hectares. But so far, there is only certainty about three million,» – the academician wrote.
The government is doing everything possible to help agricultural producers, said Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi, according to the ministry’s website.
«In a fairly simple online form, each agricultural producer can submit to the ministry the actual state of preparation for sowing and indicate the needs he has. We help contact the provider of relevant resources to help. We encourage everyone to join this initiative. It will help coordinate [the process],» – Taras Vysotskyi said.
According to him, Ukraine produces five times more than it consumes domestically, and currently, the country has enough reserves for this. Six million tons of wheat are available in warehouses, while Ukrainians consume eight million tons a year. In summer, you should wait for the harvest of winter wheat, which has already been sown and which will need to be harvested. Corn is a two-year supply, with seven million tons consumed and 15 million available. Sunflower oil will be enough for five years, sugar – for one and a half.
As for the amount of available mineral fertilizers, the Deputy Minister says that 80% of them have already been purchased, which is enough to get a higher than average yield. As for seeds, Ukraine now has 75% of it. Government officials have until May-June to make up for the small shortfall. As for fuel, the official did not name the figures, but said that the ministry planned to obtain it by arranging transportation and changing directions.
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The Verkhovna Rada also calls the sowing of 2022 to be the most difficult in the history of Ukraine’s independence. Parliamentarians point to a number of problems faced by farmers: lack of fuel, fertilizers, blocking logistics, disruptions in the supply of agricultural machinery and equipment.
Deputies say that Ukrainian farmers have food security on the shoulders of the entire state, so they are doing everything possible to ensure that sowing takes place properly. Separately, the people’s deputies congratulate the world community for leaving the Russian market and stopping the supply of equipment and spare parts due to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
Oleh Tarasov, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy, told Lviv Now that the 2022 budget adopted last year set aside UAH 4.5 billion to support agricultural producers. However, the beginning of the war and the imposition of martial law changed the priorities of public funding. Due to the fact that the needs of the defence budget are paramount, there are no funds for the program to support the agro-industrial complex. However, MPs are working with government officials to find sources of funding for farmers to conduct a sowing campaign. As an alternative, Oleh Tarasov calls the banking system, which, however, provides loans on certain terms.
«Loans for farmers have a maximum state guarantee of 80 percent. Loans are provided for six months with a zero interest rate. The maximum amount of such a soft loan is UAH 50 million. Loans are provided to agricultural producers with a turnover of no more than 20 million euros a year, which is the equivalent of an enterprise with the cultivation of up to 10,000 hectares,» – the deputy explained.
There is no need to talk about yields now because it depends on the provision of farmers. However, Oleh Tarasov emphasizes that it is important to work not only on sowing, but also on harvesting.
«Yields depend on the availability of farmers with adequate resources, the ability to comply with cultivation technology and weather conditions. But the most important thing in the current situation is the opportunity to gather such a harvest,» – he said.
According to a member of the Verkhovna Rada committee, it is not correct to say that the Lviv region can replace the temporarily occupied Kherson region, given different soils and weather conditions, but last year’s harvest will be enough for this year, and the Kherson region farmers cultivate fields despite military action.
«It is incorrect to compare the agricultural potential of Lviv region with Kherson region, given the different weather conditions, the amount of arable land, physical and chemical properties of soils. However, all products that will be grown in Ukraine this year, regardless of the region, are important for food security. We have always harvested many times more than the domestic market needed. Ukraine still has enough agricultural products from last year. As for the Kherson region, the other day we saw in the media how farmers in this area went to the fields to carry out spring work on agricultural machinery under Ukrainian flags,» – said the deputy.
He says that foreign aid is not needed for sowing, but due to the impossibility of ports in the Black Sea, it would be appropriate to open European markets for final consumption and transit of Ukrainian goods.
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«In fact, there is no need to import grain from abroad in Ukraine now. There is also no information about the needs of farmers in agricultural machinery. It is possible that some farms have it, but in general, there is no such problem in the country. Currently, Ukraine is asking to open European markets for final consumption or to open borders for the transit of Ukrainian goods. Ukrainian products cannot be exported through ports in the south of the country. The movement of merchant ships in the Black Sea is blocked by Russian warships, coastal areas are being attempted. Therefore, the opening of markets would help Ukrainian farmers to obtain funds for their activities. Now, I am actively working on this issue,» – Oleh Tarasov continues.
The agricultural enterprise «МХП« (MKhP) cultivates almost 350,000 hectares. 40,000 of them – by the «Захід-Агро МХП» («West-Agro MKhP») – «child» enterprise of «МХП» and part of the holding company operating in Western Ukraine. The main crops grown by the company are winter wheat, winter rape, corn for grain, sunflower, soybeans. The company unites more than 26 thousand employees at more than 40 enterprises in 14 regions of Ukraine. More than 370 of them work for «Захід-Агро МХП».
Serhii Dobrohorskyi, director of «МХП» ‘s agro-direction, told Lviv Now that this year, all the planned sown areas for 2022 are 350,000 hectares. The sowing process in parts of the Kyiv and Sumy regions is in question.
The sowing campaign is planned at all 11 «МХП» plant enterprises. The issue of sowing on 15 thousand hectares in the Kyiv and Sumy regions is in question. All enterprises employ the maximum number of workers, except for those currently in the Armed Forces, Territorial Defence or in the occupied territories. As of the beginning of March, all works on the main tillage have been completed, 90 per cent of the main nitrogen fertilizers for spring crops have been applied. The enterprises are completing the work on fertilizing winter crops (wheat, rapeseed, rye, triticale) with nitrogen (CAS) and sulfur (ammonium sulfate) fertilizers. Work is underway to apply nitrogen fertilizers to spring crops. Early spring harrowing has already started at some enterprises,» – Serhii Dobrogorskyi assures.
According to him, the enterprises of the agro holding are fully supplied with fertilizers and seeds for sowing, in the vast majority.
«МХП enterprises are fully provided with fertilizers for the sowing campaign. We already have over 90 per cent of corn, sunflower and soybean seeds in our warehouses. Intensive work is currently underway to provide enterprises with plant protection products and micro fertilisers. 40 per cent of pesticides and 48 per cent of micro fertilizers are already contracted and available in suppliers’ warehouses. Now, we are looking for alternatives for the rest of the volume,» – the director of the agricultural holding said.
In addition to sowing, companies are involved in the defence of Ukraine.
«Our companies are to the biggest extent involved in the process of defending our country. We support our Armed Forces, Territorial Defense and local communities with a variety of resources, finances and food. More than 100 units of the company’s equipment assist the Armed Forces in the transportation of goods. Agrarians now have their own front, on which they are successfully fighting for Ukraine’s food security. We will do everything possible to prevent famine in the country, we will continue to take care of our employees and all those who need our help,» – Serhii Dobrohorsky claims.
The company «Апогей Агро» («Apogee Agro»), registered in the Lviv region, is already working and will start sowing day by day. 70 employees of the company cultivate more than five thousand hectares of land. The company specializes in growing cereals (except rice), legumes and oilseeds. Its head Oleh Furmanskyi says that this year’s sowing is a big surprise, but he is sure that the farmers will succeed because the whole of Ukraine needs to be fed.
Also, the head of the company admits that he had to change the structure of sown areas.
«We are already working. Now cultivation, day or two – and we will sow. Everything is a big surprise, everything went awry, all plans are changing: somewhere mineral fertilizers are not supplied, somewhere diesel fuel, which has already been paid for (refunds money), seeds. We are changing the structure of sown areas. Planned a lot of corn, now half as much. There are problems that should not appear. Seeds come from Europe, but they say they can’t bring them. For example, a Polish company refused to transport mineral fertilizer, although it has already been paid for. They said they would not go to Ukraine. Although it seems safe here, the situation with the Yavoriv landfill scared them… But we have to sow. We need to feed the whole of Ukraine – those in the trenches, their families, refugees!» – the company’s head Oleh Furmanskyi emphasises.
The company will sow more grain, it plans to sow all areas.
«There is also a problem with conscription. One mechanic has already been taken away from me, and he was alone responsible in an area of 1,500 hectares. They found a second to replace him, they had not yet had time to draw up, as he also received a summons. I don’t know how, but we will work somehow,» – Oleh Furmanskyi added.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food allowed the use of agricultural machinery without registration during martial law. The government also allowed the circulation of gasoline and diesel fuel of environmental classes Euro 3, Euro 4 and simplified customs procedures for the supply of petroleum products. The Verkhovna Rada also passed a law abolishing the excise tax on fuel and reducing the VAT rate from 20% to 7%, which should stabilize prices. In addition, the government has simplified the conditions for the transport of pesticides and agrochemicals by road.
We will add that, as reported by the Lviv Regional Military Administration, night frosts do not allow to start sowing, so there is more time to prepare. Due to complex logistics, some types of seeds are missing, as well as insufficient protection of plants, mineral fertilizers and diesel fuel.
Producers are asked to report the lack of raw materials, plant protection products, etc. to the Department of Agro-Industrial Development of LRMA. Information on needs can also be reported on the platform of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
Roman Tyshchenko-Lamanskyi
Translated by Vitalii Holich
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