Ukraine may cut 2027 crop acreage 20% over export bottlenecks – Kernel
Ukraine may leave about 20% of its agricultural land unseeded in 2027 if the problem of agricultural exports is not resolved due to restrictions on the operation of Black Sea ports, Kernel agricultural holding CEO Yevgen Osypov said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Ukraine may leave about 20% of its agricultural land unplanted in 2027 if export restrictions caused by Black Sea port issues persist, according to Kernel CEO Yevgen Osypov. The primary concern is whether the country will reduce production due to unresolved export bottlenecks. Osypov estimates that this could result in 12 million tonnes of food grains not being produced, if export restrictions remain in place for the upcoming planting season.
The restrictions on Black Sea ports have intensified in the past two months, with exports plummeting to less than 10% of their previous levels. Kernel is expanding beyond agriculture by investing in power production for Ukraine, following significant damage to its generation infrastructure from Russian attacks. The company has lost approximately half of its power generation capacity, with wind energy proving more resilient.
Kernel has secured a EUR 100 million loan from Denmark's Export and Investment Fund to finance the construction of a 94.5-MW wind power plant with energy storage systems in central Ukraine. The company is the world's largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil and the largest grain exporter in Ukraine, operating a vast logistics network and being a leading producer of grain and oilseed crops.
Kernel's net profit decreased by 5% to $208 million, revenue increased by 0.4% to $3.092 billion, and EBITDA rose by 1% to $403 million in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2026.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
