Black Sea & Danube region: How agri business can generate money in 2026

Interview with Sergii Feofilov, CEO of UkrAgroConsult. Reflecting on 2025, what market changes do you see as most influential for Ukraine and the region? Sergii Feofilov: 2025 has finally broken the illusion of a “normal” market, the old logic of agricultural markets. The agricultural sector of Ukraine and the entire Black Sea-Danube region has switched to a regime of constant risk management. This is no longer a temporary trend – this is a new logic. Firstly, geopolitics is not just a context, but a fundamental factor in pricing, logistics and financing. War, sanctions, trade restrictions, regional conflicts directly affect margins, and sometimes even the possibility of export. I included geopolitical factor in my presentations already 2-3 years ago, because I was confident about this trend. Secondly, the market has become more chaotic. The usual S&D balances no longer work. Even a record harvest does not guarantee sales and coverage of losses, and changes in logistics can cross ...