Growers in Ukraine turn to more expensive machinery amid labour shortage — Väderstad

Agricultural companies in Ukraine are increasingly investing in more expensive and technologically advanced agricultural machinery. One of the main reasons for the trend is a labour shortage that has been exacerbated by mobilisation, Vitaliy Filatov, CEO of Väderstad Ukraine, told Latifundist.com.

According to Filatov, the average value of machinery sold by the company is increasing as farms opt for high-performance machines equipped with advanced technologies.

“We are selling more expensive machines packed with technology because demand has increased for productivity, quality and precision in tillage and sowing. This is largely due to a shortage of personnel, particularly because of mobilisation,” Filatov said.

He added that the trend emerged as early as 2022. Despite the full-scale war, the market did not shift towards cheaper machinery. On the contrary, growers began investing more actively in high-performance machines that allow them to carry out more work with fewer employees.

Väderstad plans to reach this season the sales level it had targeted before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“We planned to sell 500 machines in 2022. As of this June, we have sold 310 machines. For the year, we expect revenue of around €55 million. But 500 remains the target,” Filatov said.