Agrarian Perestroika: How the War Changed the Agricultural Map of Ukraine
28 April 19:25
INFOGRAPHICS
In 2025, Ukrainian agriculture will show a significant redistribution of production capacity by region. The reason is a full-scale war with Russia.
[comersant] analyzed a map based on data from Credit Agricole and Latifundist.com. The map shows profound structural changes in the country’s crop production caused by the fighting in Ukraine.
Shifting center of agricultural production
The most striking trend is the shift of the country’s agricultural core to the west and northwest. Regions that used to be considered traditional agricultural giants are now showing record drops in production:
- Donetsk region (-70.4%);
- Luhansk region (-75.7%);
- Zaporizhzhia region (-84.9%).
At the same time, the western regions – Volyn (12.5%), Lviv (14.9%), and Chernivtsi (11.6%) – are recording a steady increase in crop production. Thus, regions that were not previously agricultural flagships are becoming new centers of production.
It is important to note that the relocation of agricultural production also leads to changes in regional specialization. For example, Zakarpattia and Chernivtsi regions have strengthened their positions in growing fruits and berries (grapes and apples, respectively).
Crisis in the South and East
The South has traditionally provided the country with grain and vegetables, but Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions are not showing significant recovery. In particular, Odesa region is showing growth in grains (18%) and grapes (58%), but overall, amid the fighting, it cannot reach pre-war levels.
In the east (Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions), the drop in yields has become a systemic and long-term factor. Kharkiv region recorded a 40.8% decline in production, even for key crops.
Production structure
Corn, wheat, potatoes and fruits remain the main crops that define the agricultural sector. It is worth noting that potato production is growing in almost all western regions, indicating that local agriculture is adapting to new climatic and logistical conditions.
Special attention should be paid to the growth of sugar beet and industrial crops in Khmelnytsky (14%) and Vinnytsia (20%) regions. These regions are gradually increasing their share in the processing and export of agricultural products.
Agricultural production in Ukraine: how it was affected by the war
Due to the hostilities, Ukraine lost a share of agricultural production. In particular, the following crops showed a percentage decline
- corn (- 14%)
- vegetables (-15%);
- eggs (-27%);
- wheat (-24%);
- fruits, berries (-6%);
- CATTLE (- 25%);
- barley (-37%);
- grapes (-19%);
- pig production (-11%);
- sunflower (-15%);
- milk (-19%);
- poultry (-11%).
Read also: Ukrainian farmers have overcome a new challenge in the field of exports
Instead, the growth was demonstrated by such crops as rapeseed (40%), sugar beet (30%), soybeans (42%), and potatoes (3%).
How did the war change the agricultural specialization of the regions and which regions became leaders?
- corn (Poltava, Chernihiv and Cherkasy regions);
- rapeseed (Odesa, Vinnytsia, and Dnipro regions);
- vegetables (Dnipropetrovska, Lvivska, Kyivska oblasts);
- eggs (Kyiv, Khmelnytsky, Poltava regions);
- wheat (Odesa, Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovska oblasts);
- sugar beet (Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Poltava regions);
- fruits and berries (Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi regions);
- cattle (Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, Vinnytsia regions);
- barley (Odesa, Mykolaiv, Dnipro regions);
- soybeans (Poltava, Khmelnytsky, Sumy regions);
- grapes (Odesa, Zakarpattia, Mykolaiv regions);
- pigs (Kyiv, Lviv, Khmelnytsky regions);
- sunflower (Kirovohrad, Dnipro, Kharkiv regions);
- potatoes (Zhytomyr, Lviv, Vinnytsia regions);
- milk (Khmelnytsky, Poltava, Vinnytsia regions);
- poultry (Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Kyiv regions).
Economic impacts
The relocation of agricultural production to the west has not only economic but also social consequences: increased employment, higher land values, and changes in logistics routes and infrastructure. At the same time, eastern Ukraine faces the threat of agricultural depopulation and loss of agricultural potential for years to come.
Moreover, the new map of agricultural production may change the structure of Ukrainian exports. The role of Odesa region ports and alternative export routes through the western borders is already increasing. For businesses, this is a signal that they need to reorient their investments and plan their logistics.
Читайте нас у Telegram: головні новини коротко
