The Bread Issue: Ukraine Feeds Polish Farmers

Ukraine primarily imports rye from Poland at 16,000 UAH per ton, while Ukrainian production costs 14,000 UAH, but there is not enough of it. This is reported by UNIAN. If Ukrainian farmers do not grow rye themselves, they are feeding Polish farmers who sell it at a higher price. Experts blame the market conditions – that is, growing rye is not economically feasible for Ukrainian farmers. Due to economic and security factors, the largest rye crops are currently recorded in the Rivne region. Ukraine lacked approximately 50,000 tons of rye in 2024 to meet domestic needs. The rye production dynamics are negative. Ukraine has lost more than half of what it had before the full-scale war. According to preliminary estimates by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in autumn for the 2025 harvest, 68.1 thousand hectares were sown, which is only 3% less than the previous period's sown areas. Compared to the pre-war indicator, this is 60% less. In 2024, the rye consumption fund decreased, and ...