Oilseeds area increase in Ukraine persists through 2024

Expansion of oilseeds planting area in Ukraine will persist in the 2024 season as the area of grain crops decreases, says the first deputy agriculture minister Taras Vysotskyi.

"If we consider the crops covering millions of hectares, we see that the trend towards a decrease in grain crops area and, accordingly, an increase in oilseeds remains. And it is likely to be present next year as well," he adds.

The Agriculture Ministry projects a 3-5% reduction in winter crops area this season.

The deputy minister noted that the area under buckwheat and sugar beet grew, the latter by 15%. For the 2023 crop, buckwheat area in Ukraine totals 141.5 thou. ha (2022: 121 thou. ha). Sugarbeet covers 249.9 thou. ha this season (2022: 183.8 thou. ha).

As of October 24, growers in Ukraine managed to plant 78% of the projected area of winter crops.