Ukrainian Farmers Will Harvest 10.5 Million Tons of Sunflower

Ukrainian farmers continue to harvest sunflowers. By the 3rd decade of October 2022, 68% of the crop has already been harvested. The Ukrainian Agrarian Business Club (UCAB) published a forecast according to which 10.5 million tons of sunflower will be harvested from the fields. This is 30% less than the average for the previous 3 years.

UCAB said there are two reasons for the decline in yields. The first of them is a decrease in sown areas due to the occupation of the territory of Ukraine by the aggressor country. According to UCAB representatives in the report, the sown area decreased by 26% to 4.7 million hectares. The second reason is the decline in sunflower yields in 2022. According to experts, the yield will be 22.4 c/ha. This figure is 5% lower compared to the average for the last 3 years.

Another problem faced by Ukrainian farmers is the difficulty in harvesting. In autumn, heavy rains fell throughout the country. Because of this, the harvest time had to be postponed. In addition, the rains had a negative impact on the quality of the crop. However, according to the UCAB report, there will be enough sunflower seeds to meet Ukraine's own needs. Part of the crop will be exported.