Italy increased Ukrainian corn imports due to quality issues and poor harvests among key suppliers

Italy remains one of the largest importers of Ukrainian corn. In the MY 2025/26, the country increased its purchases thanks to the consistently high quality of Ukrainian grain, while its traditional suppliers faced crop and quality problems.

According to Dmytro Sukh, a trader at Almeida Group, Ukrainian grain has evolved from an occasional supply source into a strategic partner for the Italian market over the past few years. Italian buyers have become accustomed to Ukraine’s logistics, reliable volumes, and consistent quality, strengthening the country’s position in the market.

One of the main reasons behind the shift in trade flows was the aflatoxin problem in Romania and Hungary, which significantly reduced their ability to supply corn to Italy in 2023. At the same time, Ukrainian corn proved to be consistently high quality and met Italian buyers’ strict requirements for aflatoxin content.

“When neighboring countries faced quality and crop problems for two consecutive years, Ukrainian corn remained stable. Moreover, it was even used to improve the overall quality of procurement programs,” Almeida Group said.

Italian broker and ACOS SRL Director Emanuele Argint also confirmed that Italian buyers pay close attention to grain quality, particularly aflatoxin levels.

“Ukrainian corn has no aflatoxin issues. Quality control is carried out both during loading and before shipment,” he said.

Another important factor was the sharp decline in Hungary’s corn harvest. As a result, Hungarian corn shipments to Italy during July-February of the 2025/26 marketing year nearly halved to 345 thsd tons, compared with 606 thsd tons a year earlier. Ukrainian corn filled much of the resulting supply gap, allowing Italian importers to quickly adjust their purchasing programs.

Ukraine’s role in the Italian market has strengthened significantly over the past few seasons. While exports previously ranged between 0.7 and 1.7 mln tons per season, they increased to 2.5 mln tons in 2022/23 and 3 mln tons in 2023/24. At the same time, Spain reduced its purchases, allowing Italy to become the largest buyer of Ukrainian corn within the European Union.

Experts believe that, provided trade conditions remain unchanged, Italy could continue importing around 3 mln tons of Ukrainian corn annually. However, a recovery in corn production in Hungary and other Central European countries next season could intensify competition in the Italian market.

Tags: Hungary, Italy, Ukraine, corn, Romania