Ukraine's Farmers Reel from War, Drought as Harvest Sales Stagnate

Ukraine's farmers are struggling to sell their harvest due to the ongoing war and drought. The situation is particularly dire in regions on the front, where most silos have been destroyed amid the conflict.

According to Denys Marchuk, deputy chairman of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, Ukrainian farmers have harvested over 28 million tons of grains and pulses. However, a large part of this harvest cannot be sold, leading to a shortage of cash needed for further planting.

Maksym Hopka, an analyst at the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, estimates that Ukraine's agricultural output declined by about a quarter in July compared to the previous month. He expects an additional fall of over 50% in August.

The situation is expected to worsen in the coming weeks and months as grain and oilseed crops are harvested later than previously thought. The corn harvest alone could reach around 33 million metric tons this year, but there may be a shortage of storage capacity totaling up to 10 million tons.