Port blockade could accelerate agricultural processing development in Ukraine

Problems with seaborne agricultural exports could stimulate the development of domestic processing in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi expressed this view in an interview with DW.

He noted that in 2025, compared with the pre-war year of 2021, the share of processed products in Ukraine’s agricultural exports increased from 47% to 58%.

“Processing is steadily increasing by several percentage points. The availability of raw materials is also an incentive. Therefore, those who were ready and have the capacity but were still hesitating will definitely move in this direction,” the minister said.

Vysotskyi explained that Ukraine will not be able to process the entire volume of agricultural products that remains in the country.

“The share of processing will continue to grow, and this growth could accelerate due to the current situation,” he concluded.