How buckwheat can reveal Ukraine’s real population — Serhiy Hromovyi

The buckwheat season in Ukraine is coming to an end, along with assessments of one of the country’s most traditional crops. According to official data, 79,000 hectares of buckwheat were sown this year, compared to 137,000 hectares in 2016. In an interview with AgroPortal.ua, Serhiy Hromovyi, Executive Director of the International Buckwheat Association, explained why the crop area keeps shrinking, why buckwheat remains strategically important, and even how its consumption can indicate Ukraine’s actual population size. According to Hromovyi, the buckwheat sector is stagnating — harvests were gathered from just 70,000 hectares, and part of the grain is of substandard quality. Yet the crop is highly valuable: it’s profitable, environmentally friendly, doesn’t accumulate radionuclides, and can serve as an affordable source of protein during crises. However, farmers lack economic incentives, and state support is absent. “Buckwheat is a superfood — there’s no need to replace it with ...