Ukrainian farmers are projected to increase the winter wheat sowing area for the 2025 harvest to over 5 million hectares, up from 4.7 million hectares in 2024. This adjustment is primarily aimed at compensating for a significant decline in the winter rapeseed area due to ongoing drought conditions affecting much of the country.
According to an industry source, the area dedicated to rapeseed could decrease by about 500,000 hectares as record high temperatures and insufficient rainfall have created unfavorable conditions for sowing winter crops. Current soil moisture levels are critically low across most regions of Ukraine, leading to a slower start for this year’s sowing season.
As of September 2, farmers had sown only 446,000 hectares of winter rapeseed, a notable drop from 655,000 hectares at the same time last year. The total area for winter rapeseed sowing for the 2024 harvest was 1.25 million hectares. If the drought persists, the rapeseed area could shrink significantly, while improved rainfall could limit the decline to around 250,000 hectares.
Farmers have already sown 27,700 hectares of winter wheat as of early September, with winter wheat typically accounting for about 95% of Ukraine’s annual wheat output. The country has recently completed its 2024 wheat harvest, yielding 21.8 million metric tons, slightly down from over 22 million tons in 2023.
Despite the challenges posed by the drought, farmers remain hopeful for a favorable winter and spring, which could contribute to a successful wheat harvest.