The Ukrainian oilseed flax market shows signs of stable recovery. The crop is gradually regaining its position in the cropping structure, forming a new niche for small and medium-sized agricultural producers.

According to information «UkrAgroConsult», despite the growth, flax remains a niche product, sensitive to weather conditions and market fluctuations.

Since 2020, Ukraine has seen a gradual expansion of areas under flax, supported by stable demand from the European Union — the main importer of Ukrainian products. In the 2024/25 marketing year, the gross harvest of flax is estimated at over 66 thousand tons — the highest figure since the 2017/18 season. The growth was facilitated by both the expansion of sown areas and a partial recovery in yields, which still remain below the crop’s potential.

Export remains a key market driver: over 80% of the 2024/25 MY harvest is sent abroad. This share has more than doubled during the years of the full-scale war. The main sales destinations remain EU countries — Italy, Poland, and Belgium. After 2022, European importers significantly reduced purchases of Russian flax, reorienting towards alternative suppliers, particularly from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Canada.

Despite peak exports in the 2023/24 MY (over 70 thousand tons), shipments decreased by approximately 24% this current season. At the same time, experts believe that provided export support and development of domestic processing, flax could establish itself as a promising crop for the northern regions of Ukraine, which are increasingly facing weather risks.