Continental begins harvest campaign, highlights key challenges of the season

Continental Farmers Group has launched the first phase of its 2026 harvest campaign. The company plans to harvest early grains and rapeseed from more than 70,000 hectares: winter wheat from 35,300 hectares, winter rapeseed from 26,500 hectares, and winter barley from 8,500 hectares.

To support the harvest, the company has deployed 745 units of owned and leased machinery, including 95 combine harvesters, 66 of which are company-owned. The harvested crops will be transported by a fleet of 650 trucks. Grain carts equipped with new load-weight monitoring systems have also been prepared for the campaign.

The company noted that this season's weather conditions have accelerated the ripening of winter crops. According to forecasts, the first weeks of the harvest will be characterised by hot and dry weather, allowing field operations to proceed without prolonged interruptions caused by rainfall.

"We are entering the fields within our usual timeframe, starting in the third ten-day period of June. We begin with winter barley in our southern production units and, over the following days, gradually expand harvesting across all of the company's clusters. Winter rapeseed and winter wheat will follow," said Kostiantyn Shytiuk, Chief Operating Officer of Continental Farmers Group.

The company also secured sufficient fuel supplies well in advance of the harvest campaign. Continental added that the decline in fuel prices in June could have a positive impact on operating costs during the harvest season.

At the same time, the company identified changes in transport logistics regulations as one of the key challenges of the season. These include new requirements governing drivers' working hours, restrictions on heavy truck traffic on local roads, and the phased introduction of electronic waybills. According to Continental, these changes will require additional adjustments to logistics operations during the peak of the harvest campaign.