In 2023, the share of exports of agri-food products in the total volume of exports of Ukraine increased to 62%, which is the highest indicator for the entire period of the country's independence. Deputy director of the Institute of Agrarian Economics and academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences Mykola Pugachev announced this.
According to him, the results of 2023 indicate the achievement of record export volumes of frozen berries and other fruits, which amounted to 87 thousand tons. In general, during the past year, Ukraine exported agricultural products worth $22.1 billion. Although this is 21% less than the record figure of 2021, it still remains the fifth since the independence of Ukraine.
Scientists of the Institute of Agrarian Economics indicate a decrease in export sales in all major geographical regions, such as the European Union, Asia and Africa.
Despite the full-scale invasion of Russia on the territory of Ukraine, the decisive factor in maintaining the stability of foreign supplies of agricultural products was the maintenance of orientation towards the markets of the European Union. The share of the EU in Ukrainian exports of agricultural products set a new record, accounting for 57% of the total volume of Ukrainian agricultural exports.
Asia, which lost its position as the main importer of Ukrainian agricultural products a year ago, retained second place with a share of 29.9%. The value of exports to Asian countries amounted to $6.6 billion. African countries received $1.6 billion worth of products, securing a 7.2% share of Ukrainian exports of agricultural products.
Mykola Pugachev noted that the pronounced European direction of Ukrainian agricultural and food exports continues to support the leadership of the European Union countries among the main consumers of Ukrainian food products in the world.
In 2023, Romania topped the ranking of the largest importers of Ukrainian agricultural products for the first time, purchasing them for the amount of $2.875 billion. China took second place in the ranking, increasing the volume of purchases of Ukrainian agricultural products by approximately 18% to $2.220 billion. Third place went to Turkey, which imported agricultural products for $1.994 billion
Mykola Pugachev pointed out that the restrictions on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine introduced by Poland in the spring of last year and still in effect led not only to the country's loss of the status of the main buyer on the world market, but also to a decrease in the value of imports by a third, to $1.797 billion.
In 2023, other major consumers of Ukrainian agricultural products were:
- Spain ($1.765 billion)
- Netherlands ($1.274 billion)
- Egypt ($1.066 billion)
- Italy ($1.045 billion)
- Germany ($862 billion)
- Hungary ($471 million)
Traditionally, the most important products of Ukrainian agricultural exports are grain crops, oils and fats, various oils, food and processing industry residues, as well as meat and by-products.
The global trend of decreasing world food prices also had an impact on the incomes of Ukrainian exporters, as the meat, grain and oil segments saw a simultaneous increase in the quantitative volume of foreign sales and a decrease in foreign exchange earnings.
An important feature of 2023 was a significant increase in the volume of exports of Ukrainian sugar and confectionery products made from it. These areas of agricultural production as a whole accounted for 89% of the value of the sector's exports.
