Ukraine’s sunflower oil exports surged in October 2026, marking a significant rebound despite broader challenges in the agricultural sector. According to Spike Brokers, sunflower oil shipments reached 258.7 thousand tons, a 76.4% increase from September. However, this figure remained 30.1% below the same month in 2025, highlighting ongoing recovery efforts.
The rise in sunflower oil exports provided a crucial boost to Ukraine’s overall agricultural export performance. Total shipments for October hit 3.05 million tons, a modest 0.6% increase from September. Yet, year-on-year comparisons showed a 31.7% decline, underscoring persistent difficulties in exporting key commodities.
Grain exports, in particular, faced steep declines. Barley shipments dropped 79.7% to 43.9 thousand tons, while corn exports fell 70% to 282.4 thousand tons. Wheat shipments also decreased by 33.1% to 990.2 thousand tons. The strong performance of sunflower oil exports helped mitigate some of these losses.
Transportation of agricultural goods showed signs of recovery. Land border crossings exported 417.2 thousand tons, up 20.1% from September and 45% higher than the previous year. Rail shipments of grains increased by 26.2% month-on-month to 1.028 million tons, though they remained 51% below October 2025 levels.