Ukrainian agrarians revert to rye production amid improving profitability — expert

Ukrainian agricultural enterprises are actively resuming the cultivation of rye, which is less sensitive than wheat and other cereals, and at the same time a rather profitable crop, ProAgro Group Deputy Director Maria Kolesnik stated, Ukurier writes.

As she noted, two seasons earlier, rye harvest areas totalled 115 thou. ha, and rye production reached 334 thou. t, but in 2020 135 thou. ha were sown with this crop in Ukraine. This year it is planned to produce 366 thou. t of rye.

However, analysts say, the crop in Belarus yields 5 t/ha, yet in Ukraine only 2.2 t/ha. But, according to experts, given this yield, it is still possible to make up to UAH 11 thou. per ton.

"And when deducting the expenses per hectare, the revenue will make up UAH 6.1 thou. Therefore, both agricultural enterprises and the state itself should think about activating rye cultivation programs," the expert advised.

The growing demand for hybrid rye in Ukraine is driven by the levels of yields. The regular rye yields 2.8 t/ha, whereas hybrid rye provides 3.6-5.5 t/ha.