Ukraine to increase rye and rye flour imports fivefold

Ukraine is set to increase imports of rye and rye flour fivefold in the 2025/26 marketing year — up to 15–16 thousand tonnes compared to just 3 thousand tonnes a year earlier, according to Rodion Rybchynskyi, Director of the Union “Flour Millers of Ukraine.”

“There will be mass imports… I think total imports of both rye grain and flour in the 2025–2026 winter season will reach 15–16 thousand tonnes. Last year, it was about 3 thousand tonnes,” Rybchynskyi said at the Agro2Food exhibition in Kyiv on Wednesday.

He explained that the shortage of rye in Ukraine stems from farmers’ reluctance to plant the crop. “I don’t see producers actively sowing winter rye for the 2026 harvest. There is a slight increase, about 5% compared to last year, but it won’t solve the deficit. The autumn sowing campaign won’t be enough to compensate for the shortage,” he added.

Industry associations “Flour Millers of Ukraine” and the “Ukrainian Association of Bakers” had already reported that the country has faced a persistent shortage of rye and rye flour for several seasons. The main reason is that rye yields are about one-third lower than wheat — around 4 t/ha versus 6 t/ha — and the crop has little export potential, being in demand only on the domestic market. Previously, Ukraine covered its rye deficit with imports from Belarus, but competition with Belarusian supplies has been difficult for local producers.

Rybchynskyi noted that rye has recently become more profitable due to challenges with grain exports. Rye prices in Ukraine have doubled: from 6–7 thousand UAH per tonne in 2024 to 12–14 thousand UAH in May 2025. The price of Ukrainian rye flour is around 18 thousand UAH per tonne, while flour made from imported raw materials costs about 20 thousand UAH. “This won’t just raise bread prices — many bakeries will simply stop baking rye bread,” he warned.

Tags: flour, imports, rye, Ukraine