Zhytomyr Region’s Bountiful Harvest Faces Uncertain Future Due to Export Challenges

Farmers in Zhytomyr region, despite the ongoing Russian war, have successfully cultivated an abundant harvest this year, but they are uncertain about their ability to sell their produce, particularly for exports. The region has been farming under the specter of war for the second consecutive year. The most pressing issue they face currently is the lack of export opportunities for their grains, compounded by labor shortages due to many workers enlisting in the defense of the country.

An Ukrinform correspondent visited Zviahel district in Zhytomyr region, where Galeks-Agro, an organic farming company, is harvesting spelt, a variety of wild wheat. Galeks-Agro farms 2,000 hectares of organic spelt and also grows a variety of other organic crops including sunflower, soybeans, corn, and buckwheat across 10,000 hectares of land. The enterprise additionally runs an organic livestock operation.

However, the company is now struggling with closed European markets and labor shortages. About 35% of Galeks-Agro’s workforce is currently serving in the Armed Forces. The company’s Executive Director, Serhii Leonets, expressed his concern, saying, “Sales have stopped altogether. The market has completely stopped… We sent inquiries to all the partners we worked with before Russia’s full-scale war, all of them in Europe. All of them refused our products.”

Before the war, Galeks-Agro exported 40% of its grain products, with the rest processed for the Ukrainian market. Currently, the company has a single contract with Italy to sell 10 tonnes of spelt, which is a small fraction of its typical volume but still an opportunity to showcase Ukraine’s organic farming capabilities.

Leonets also explained the potential ramifications if the sales market does not recover. He warned that farmers could be caught in a vicious cycle, with unsold grain leading to insufficient funds to pay salaries, buy diesel fuel, and maintain machinery. While the company’s grain output is expected to increase by 5-10% compared to last year, the unsold stock from the previous year still lies in storage, further illustrating the precarious situation.