Ukraine's winter wheat planting pace has caught up with and slightly exceeded last year, primarily as favourable weather has allowed farmers to speed up planting, particularly in the Odesa region.
Farmers planted 445,400 hectares (ha) of winter wheat in the week to 3 November, up from 414,500ha the previous week, according to the economy ministry. This brings the winter wheat area planted for the 2026-27 season (July-June) to 4.3mn ha, or 90.2pc of a projected 4.77mn ha. This figure is 7,300ha higher than the area planted by 4 November 2024.
Farmers in Odesa region continued to speed up sowing and led the advance in winter wheat areas, with 165,000ha planted in the reporting week. A favourable weather forecast for this week may allow farmers in some regions to maintain planting rates and meet earlier expectations of total planted areas.
By 3 November, farmers had also planted 478,700ha of winter barley — 80.8pc of the projected 592,300ha. This was down from the 543,600ha planted by 4 November last year. Similarly to winter wheat, farmers in Odesa region significantly increased their planting pace, sowing 51,800ha in the reporting week.
Ukraine's winter rapeseed planted area increased by 15,000ha in the week to 3 November, bringing the total for 2026-27 to 1.06mn ha — or 94.4pc of the projected 1.12mn ha.
