Ukrainian farmers are facing immense challenges as Russia intensifies its attacks on grain shipments, disrupting a vital part of the country's economy. Volodymyr Varbanets, a farmer in Odesa, highlights the difficulty of exporting grain due to repeated Russian missile and drone strikes that have damaged ports, warehouses, and commercial vessels. The cargo handling at key ports like Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdenny has plummeted more than fifteenfold since July 22, according to Ukraine’s infrastructure minister.
Agriculture is crucial to Ukraine’s export economy, accounting for 56% of exports in 2025, worth $22.6 billion. The country is expecting another bumper harvest, with around 84 million tons of grain and oilseed forecast for the 2026-27 season. However, Russia’s territorial gains and attacks on silos and warehouses have reduced storage capacity to 59 million tons, creating an 11-million-ton shortfall by November. Recent strikes have targeted cargo ships and port infrastructure, causing fatalities and significant damage.
Farmers are now forced to find alternative routes for exporting their goods, which increases costs and squeezes already thin profit margins. Diesel prices in Ukraine have surged nearly 80% year-on-year, and fertilizer costs are also rising. The situation is exacerbated by military conscription, which has pulled younger men away from agriculture, leaving older farmers to work longer hours. Taxes and loans add to the financial strain, with many farmers struggling to pay for labor and leased farmland.
Viktor Kozhukharenko, who farms 15,000 hectares, notes that transporting a ton of grain now costs $70 compared to $33 previously. He fears a delayed agricultural collapse as farmers scale back planting. Kozhukharenko is pessimistic about international help, suggesting that competing grain exporters benefit from higher prices while poorer countries dependent on Ukrainian grain lack the political clout to demand a solution. He emphasizes, 'Without the sea, we have nothing.'