Ukraine to increase rye and rye flour imports fivefold

rye grain and flour in the 2025–2026 winter season will reach 15–16 thousand tonnes. Last year, it was about 3 thousand tonnes,” Rybchynskyi said at the Agro2Food exhibition in Kyiv on Wednesday. He explained that the shortage of rye in Ukraine stems from farmers’ reluctance to plant the crop. “I don’t see producers actively sowing winter rye for the 2026 harvest. There is a slight increase, about 5% compared to last year, but it won’t solve the deficit. The autumn sowing campaign won’t be enough to compensate for the shortage,” he added. Industry associations “Flour Millers of Ukraine” and the “Ukrainian Association of Bakers” had already reported that the country has faced a persistent shortage of rye and rye flour for several seasons. The main reason is that rye yields are about one-third lower than wheat — around 4 t/ha versus 6 t/ha — and the crop has little export potential, being in demand only on the domestic market. Previously, Ukraine covered its rye deficit with imports ...