Epicentr Agro to replace sunflower with corn in one of its clusters
Epicentr Agro plans to increase the area under corn by about 40% in its Northern cluster (Khmelnytskyi region) in 2026, Dmytro Franchuk, head of the agronomy service of the company’s Northern cluster, said in an interview with The Ukrainian Farmer magazine, AgroTimes reports.
According to him, the experience of 2025 showed that under certain conditions, corn could theoretically be removed from the crop rotation, but such an approach is unacceptable for the company. Epicentr Agro operates its own elevators, and the grain drying and handling process is well established and optimized.
“In our conditions, corn consistently demonstrates high yields while maintaining relatively low production costs, which gives it significant advantages in the crop rotation. Unlike corn, sunflower does not offer the same benefits, so in order to give the soils a rest, we plan to abandon its cultivation in 2026 in favour of corn,” Franchuk said.
At the same time, the company plans to reintroduce sugar beet into its crop rotation in 2026. Nearby sugar plants are ready to accept raw materials for processing, allowing the crop to be considered potentially high-margin. However, at the initial stage, its share in the sowing structure will remain small — about 1.5–2%.
“In general, the choice of crops and the ratio of acreage is primarily determined by crop rotation requirements, as well as logistics costs and the economic efficiency of a particular crop. Therefore, the farm constantly seeks a balance between these factors. In this context, rapeseed is one of the most profitable crops, while soybeans do not generate high margins but will still account for about 20% of the sowing area,” Franchuk explained.
Despite its economic attractiveness, sunflower will be temporarily removed from the cropping structure, as it shares diseases with soybeans and rapeseed, particularly sclerotinia, which can accumulate when these crops are grown for extended periods.
The share of winter crops in the sowing structure will remain almost unchanged at around 25% of the land bank. At the same time, wheat acreage will decrease by 5–7%, while winter rapeseed will retain its stable position as a strategic crop, as it provides the first cash inflows at the beginning of the new marketing year.
