How buckwheat can reveal Ukraine’s real population — Serhiy Hromovyi

The buckwheat season in Ukraine is coming to an end, along with assessments of one of the country’s most traditional crops. According to official data, 79,000 hectares of buckwheat were sown this year, compared to 137,000 hectares in 2016. In an interview with AgroPortal.ua, Serhiy Hromovyi, Executive Director of the International Buckwheat Association, explained why the crop area keeps shrinking, why buckwheat remains strategically important, and even how its consumption can indicate Ukraine’s actual population size.

According to Hromovyi, the buckwheat sector is stagnating — harvests were gathered from just 70,000 hectares, and part of the grain is of substandard quality. Yet the crop is highly valuable: it’s profitable, environmentally friendly, doesn’t accumulate radionuclides, and can serve as an affordable source of protein during crises. However, farmers lack economic incentives, and state support is absent.

“Buckwheat is a superfood — there’s no need to replace it with quinoa. But per capita consumption in Ukraine is critically low, just about 3 kg per year, while the physiological norm is 6.8 kg,” Hromovyi noted. Based on production and consumption volumes, he estimates that fewer than 25 million people currently live in Ukraine. From 80,000 hectares, roughly 75,000 tons of groats can be produced — enough for about 25 million people if each consumes 3 kg annually.

This year’s weather also worked against the crop — hot summer conditions followed by excessive autumn moisture reduced yields to around 1.3 t/ha. The leading producing regions are Zhytomyr and Khmelnytskyi, where growing conditions remain favorable. Nevertheless, buckwheat is a flexible crop — it can be planted as a second crop after mowing, yielding up to 2 t/ha.

The main challenge, according to Hromovyi, lies in seed quality. Although 29 buckwheat varieties are officially registered in Ukraine, there’s a severe shortage of high-quality seed. Russian varieties that once dominated the market are gradually being replaced by Ukrainian ones, but demand still exceeds supply. “It’s impossible to buy buckwheat seed abroad — it’s simply not produced. Ukraine used to be the world’s third-largest buckwheat producer, but now even Poland and Kazakhstan could overtake us,” he warned.

Despite these issues, buckwheat remains profitable: production costs are about 12,000–15,000 UAH/ha, and with yields of 2 t/ha, profitability can reach 200–250%. Hromovyi recalled that even small government subsidies — like the 1,518 UAH/ha provided in 2021 — immediately boosted planting areas.

He concluded that the industry’s revival requires stable policies, support for seed farms, and a stronger focus on promoting healthy diets. “Today, buckwheat is grown by enthusiasts who cultivate it out of love rather than profit. But if the right conditions are created, it could once again become a strategic crop for Ukraine,” Hromovyi emphasized.

Tags: Ukraine, Buckwheat