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Plenty of uncertainty surrounding what Ukraine will be able to plant this year

The chief economist with the Farmers Business Network says it’s highly unlikely that Ukraine will be able increase its planted acres for spring crops.

Kevin McNew tells Brownfield ag land continues to be hazardous for farmers due to bombs and land mines. “My expectation is that it will go down just because they are in a war zone.  We’re seeing missiles going off in the western part of the country, which is a fairly new phenomenon.  I don’t think any part of the that country is an easy boat to grow crops.”

He says the cost of production continues to increase. “It’s getting harder.  The restrictions, the lack of inputs and all these things are becoming more challenging.

McNew says the winter wheat could face the biggest challenge because last year some of the crop was planted before the war began and that’s not the case for 2023.