Russian Federation could harvest over 9 million tonnes of Ukrainian crop in occupied territories, - Ministry of Agrarian Policy
In 2026, around 3.5 million hectares of agricultural land were sown in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia. The potential harvest of cereals and oilseeds from these areas amounts to around 9.3 million tonnes.
According to Censor.NET, this was stated by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
One-fifth of Ukraine’s agricultural land remains under occupation
According to the ministry, around 20 per cent of Ukraine’s agricultural land is currently located in the temporarily occupied territories. As Ukraine does not have direct access to these lands, the situation is being monitored using satellite imagery.
"We can see every hectare that has been sown and can calculate the potential yield. At the same time, the satellite only records the fact that crops are being grown. We do not know the details of exactly how the occupiers are disposing of this grain," said Taras Vysotskyi, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.
According to him, the entire harvest grown on the occupied Ukrainian lands is being monitored and recorded by Ukraine.
They stand to harvest the largest amount of wheat
The largest areas in the occupied territories are set aside for wheat – around 1.8 million hectares. The potential yield for this crop is estimated at 5.5 million tonnes.
Around 600,000 hectares have been sown with barley, from which a yield of 1.3 million tonnes of grain is expected. A further 800,000 hectares are planted with sunflowers – the projected yield for these is also 1.3 million tonnes.
Around 120,000 hectares have been set aside for rapeseed, with a potential yield of 250,000 tonnes. Approximately 150,000 hectares have been sown with maize, the harvest of which is currently estimated at around 50,000 tonnes.
Ukraine is documenting the losses suffered by the agricultural sector
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food emphasises that systematic satellite monitoring is necessary not only for assessing crop areas. The data obtained is used to document the damage Russia is inflicting on the Ukrainian agricultural sector and to combat the illegal trade in agricultural produce from the occupied territories on international markets.
