Yield potential of Ukrainian soybeans is only half realized

Today, Ukraine is in the TOP-10 world soybean producers by acreage and is the leader in Europe by this indicator. The main regions of soybean production in Ukraine were Poltava, Khmelnitsky, Kiev, Kirovograd, Zhytomyr, Sumy regions. At the same time, the maximum average yield in 2018 (according to official data) was in Zaporizhia (32 centners per hectare), and the minimum - in Nikolaev (13.3 centners per hectare) regions. It is the yield that is the key object of attention of Ukrainian soybean producers, its instability affects both the financial result of the economy and the future plans for planting this crop.

It should be noted that in the whole country in recent years, the average yield of soybean was unstable and ranged from 13-25 centners per hectare, experts estimate the potential of soybean yield in Ukraine at 35-48 centners per hectare. According to Susanna Grigorenko, executive director of the Seed Association of Ukraine, the realization of this potential is the main challenge for both farmers and suppliers of materials and equipment, especially producers and suppliers of seeds. And the question of the growing share of certified quality seeds is central.

At the moment, APK-Inform Agency predicts that the yield of soybean in Ukraine in the current season will be 25 q / ha, and production - about 4 million tons.