CropRadar identifies Ukraine’s sunflower harvestable area as surpassing the IPAD/USDA’s five-year average (2018/19 – 2022/23: 6,540,000 ha) by over 700,000 hectares. This places CropRadar’s total cultivation area measurement significantly above the estimates of the European Commission, the USDA, and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
According to EU’s reporting, the primary production zones in eastern and south-eastern Ukraine benefited from favourable water conditions, with a brief dry spell occurring in mid-August, promoting early maturation.
The front course is unmistakably evident as an uncultivated area, as depicted in the attached images, and its prominence has grown since 2022. To the south of the frontline, cultivation volumes however has been experienced substantial growth, except in Kherson oblast, which saw a 15% decrease in cultivated area.
In detail:
- Donetsk oblast shows a 41% increase in cultivation area compared to the preceding year.
- Zaporizhia oblast records a 78% expansion in cultivation area, reaching a total of 464,217 hectares.
Prior to the onset of the conflict in 2021, Ukraine held its position as the world’s leading exporter of sunflower oil, accounting for 40.9% of global export volumes.
- General
