The record low volume of buckwheat production in 2019, which formed the deficit of the grain in Ukraine in terms of high demand during development of the COVID-19 pandemic, will possibly stimulate the further expansion of the planted areas under the grain for the harvest-2020.
According to the forecasts of APK-Inform analysts, during the spring planting campaign of 2020 Ukrainian farmers will plant buckwheat throughout nearly 125 thsd ha, as opposed to 69 thsd ha only in 2019. In terms of the forecasted average yield of buckwheat at 1.21 t/ha, the volume of the grain production in 2020 will total 121 thsd tonnes, against 85 thsd tonnes in 2019.
The key factors that determine the planned expansion of the areas under buckwheat:
— high demand for buckwheat on the domestic market, which formed increasing of the prices in the segment, and even caused the current export ban on the crop;
— uncertainty with the planted areas under early grains in terms of the deficit of moisture content, stimulating of the expansion of the areas under late crops;
— social value of buckwheat as a basic product, which allows forecasting the high demand in the new season.
