Ukrainian farmers have faced a severe shortage of agricultural machinery over the past three years, significantly impacting their operational efficiency. According to the Institute of Agricultural Economics, in 2023, the number of tractors in agricultural enterprises decreased by 22% compared to 2021. The number of combines also fell by 13.5%, while the number of plows decreased by 12%.
This is reported by Finway
Domestic Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing is Declining
In addition to the loss of machinery, there is a sharp contraction in Ukrainian agricultural machinery manufacturing. Over the past 10-15 years, tractor production in Ukraine has fallen by 18 times, plows by 11.1 times, cultivators by 7.8 times, seeders by 5.7 times, and mowers by 17 times. Consequently, the share of Ukrainian machinery in the domestic market has decreased from 52% in 2012 to 20.5% in 2023.
Import Remains Critically Important
Despite a slight reduction in imports, farmers’ dependence on foreign machinery remains high. In 2024, Ukrainian farmers purchased imported machinery worth $988.7 million, of which $404 million was spent on tractors and $159 million on grain harvesting combines.
“Thanks to the state compensation program for the cost of Ukrainian machinery, which was resumed last year after a pause in 2022-2023, in 2024 farmers purchased nearly 300 tractors and about 3,000 units of planting and tillage equipment.”
Despite government support, Ukrainian farmers continue to face a severe shortage of machinery, affecting the pace of modernization and the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.