Despite severe frosts this winter, Ukraine’s overall climate trend remains unchanged: winters will become shorter and warmer, while summers will grow hotter. This was stated by Tetiana Adamenko, Head of the Agrometeorology Department at the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center, in an interview, ProAgro Group.

According to her, the winter of 2025/26 ranked as the fifth coldest since 1991, yet such temperatures should not be considered abnormal.

“Temperatures down to –30°C are not an exception. Such extremes are a direct consequence of climate change,” Adamenko said.

At the same time, she emphasized that the current cold winter does not indicate a reversal of the long-term climate trend.

“This winter is rather an exception, not a new trend. The overall tendency is global warming,” she noted.

The key challenge for Ukraine’s agricultural sector, Adamenko stressed, is the limited time available for adaptation.

“Ukrainian farmers have about 5–10 years to adapt to new climate conditions. After that, continuing to operate under old models will become increasingly difficult,” she said.

Among the main risks are more frequent droughts, heat waves, sharp temperature fluctuations and moisture deficits. These challenges will require changes in crop structure, soil management technologies, irrigation systems and the use of more climate-resilient crop varieties.

Climate change is already affecting yields of key crops in Ukraine and forcing farmers to adjust their production strategies.

As previously reported, the overwintering performance of winter crops this season may slightly adjust the crop acreage structure, although no drastic changes are expected. The scale of spring re-sowing will depend on several factors, primarily the results of winter crop overwintering.

Source: Forbes Ukraine