Despite the lack of economic grounds for a sharp increase in buckwheat prices, experts warn of a possible rise in prices for this grain due to harvest reductions and consumer hype.
This is reported by Finway
Harvest Reductions and Sowing Areas
In 2025, the buckwheat harvest in Ukraine was 15% lower compared to last year. Ukrainian farmers collected 83.3 thousand tons of buckwheat, while in 2024 this figure was 126.9 thousand tons. As of October 24, buckwheat was harvested from 86% of the area, with an average yield of 14 quintals per hectare. Additionally, farmers reduced the sowing area to 69.1 thousand hectares, while last year this figure reached 90.3 thousand hectares.
Impact of Consumer Hype and Price Expectations
According to Rodion Rybychynskyi, director of the Millers Union of Ukraine, farmers make decisions regarding the sowing of buckwheat, sunflower, soybeans, or rapeseed based on their own profit – buckwheat yields 1.3–1.5 tons per hectare and can be sold for 20 thousand hryvnias per ton. However, he emphasizes that there are no grounds for a significant increase in buckwheat prices, although some rise is possible due to hype.
“Some newspaper or Telegram channel started shouting this week that buckwheat prices are rising. People listened, rushed to the supermarket. They see: buckwheat is sold for 25 UAH/kg, but tomorrow it will be 30 UAH/kg. They bought it all. The warehouses of processing plants are empty. Retailers are starting to ask the authorities ‘where is the buckwheat’. But it is with the farmers, who are waiting for prices to rise to 40 UAH/kg and are not releasing the goods. They are doing this because consumers bought all the products at 25 UAH/kg,” Rybychynskyi said.
The specialist also emphasized that waves of hype-driven demand for buckwheat, rye, and other products occur regularly in the country – approximately once every three to four years.
Thus, there are currently no objective grounds for a rapid increase in buckwheat prices; however, information noise and reduced harvest volumes may provoke a short-term price rise due to consumer actions and market expectations.