Despite the prolonged war and economic challenges, Ukrainian farmers are entering the new season with cautious but justified optimism, ProAgro Group reports.
According to Serhii Reznichenko, Head of Agronomy and Technology Development at Corteva Agriscience, for the first time in several years, the weather was typical for the Ukrainian climate, providing the best foundation for the upcoming sowing campaign and crop development.
“This year we observed a полноценна winter pattern with snow, subzero temperatures, and periods of cold, but without sharp drops. In previous years, winter crops often woke up already in January, experienced thaws, and then were hit again by frosts, which exhausted the plants. This time, nothing like that happened: both the soil and the plants received exactly the dormancy regime they needed,” the expert said.
Due to the absence of prolonged thaws, the cold winter did not lead to the loss of winter crops. Wheat, according to preliminary data, overwintered almost completely, especially more winter-hardy varieties. The situation with winter rapeseed is more complicated but not critical. More problematic were areas of winter barley or winter peas, although in many cases this is influenced more by a lack of cultivation expertise under Ukrainian conditions than by weather.
“Now that temperatures have finally stabilized, it may seem that the season is starting earlier. However, in reality, it is beginning within its natural timeframe. Vegetation has not yet resumed, and it is still impossible to enter the fields — due to excess moisture, the soil is heavy and in some places has turned into mud. This is the result of sufficient snowfall and evenly distributed precipitation across the country,” Serhii Reznichenko noted.
For farmers who have not yet decided which crops to sow this spring, this is a strong argument in favor of traditional crops for Ukraine — sunflower and corn. In addition to developed logistics, cultivation expertise, and a stable market with steady demand, their success this year will be supported by sufficient soil moisture.
This season is also characterized by another important feature: soil moisture reserves have become balanced, meaning the soil has a uniform level of moisture throughout its depth. In some regions, this has not occurred for years. Even the South, which traditionally suffers from water shortages, has received sufficient moisture. This means that the sowing of spring crops will proceed without the risks seen last year, and seedlings will develop evenly. This is important for both corn and sunflower.
“Although the fate of corn is decided in summer, when precipitation is needed during critical growth phases, the initial moisture level allows us to expect that the crop will enter the season without stress. Sunflower, which relies more on soil moisture reserves, will have even better conditions: its start to the season can already be described as close to ideal,” Serhii Reznichenko believes.
As reported, sunflower remains the main crop of interest due to high prices after a deficit season. Therefore, this year experts predict a gradual recovery in production — the area under this oilseed may increase to 6.1 million hectares.
