How has the war changed Ukraine’s agricultural sector?

At the Zmiiv vegetable factory in the Kharkiv region, cucumbers and tomatoes are no longer grown; instead, borscht vegetables and berries are planted in open ground. The company will plant 30 hectares of vegetables and blueberries this year and increase to 50 hectares next year.

Before the full-scale war, the factory was the largest producer of cucumbers in Ukraine. However, their greenhouses suffered several Russian attacks, finally being destroyed by a Russian rocket.

At the same time, Mykolaiv farmers are also increasing their vegetable production. The head of agricultural enterprise in Mykolaiv said: “In 2024, we increased the area for growing fruit and vegetable crops to 2,000 hectares compared to last year’s 300 hectares.”

Before the full-scale invasion, the economy paid little attention to vegetables. However, areas planted with vegetables have begun to expand, driven by lost planting opportunities in the Kherson region. This year, agricultural producers plan to export about 30% of their harvest to countries including Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria.