Ukraine Starts the 2026 Harvest Campaign
Ukraine has started the 2026 harvest campaign. Farmers in Odesa region were the first to begin harvesting early crops, Kurkul.com reports, citing the Odesa Regional Military Administration.
In the southern districts of the region, farmers have already started harvesting winter barley and overwintering peas. According to preliminary data, the first results show good yields, allowing for cautious optimism regarding the outlook for this year’s harvesting season.
This season, farmers in Odesa region are expected to harvest grain and leguminous crops from nearly 770 thousand hectares. Wheat, both winter and spring varieties, traditionally accounts for the largest share of planted areas — more than 522 thousand hectares. Barley covers almost 176 thousand hectares, while peas occupy around 74.4 thousand hectares. In addition, more than 175 thousand hectares in the region are planted with rapeseed.
Odesa region has traditionally been one of Ukraine’s key agricultural regions and plays an important role in the country’s food production potential. Therefore, the start of the harvesting campaign is significant not only for the region but also for the entire agricultural sector.
After harvesting, proper post-harvest grain processing remains one of the most important stages, particularly cleaning and drying. Timely moisture reduction helps preserve grain quality, reduce the risk of spoilage, and ensure stable storage, processing, or further sale.
For farms and elevators handling large volumes of grain, stationary continuous-flow mixed-flow grain dryers remain a relevant solution. This type of equipment makes it possible to organize a continuous drying process for wheat, barley, corn, sunflower seeds, and other crops, taking into account the capacity needs of each enterprise.
In particular, AKRON Svegma grain dryers are available in a wide model range with different shaft widths and capacities. They can be used at elevators and grain processing facilities to ensure efficient preparation of grain for storage. 3S Company is the official representative of the Swedish company Akron and offers solutions for post-harvest crop processing.
The start of the harvest in Odesa region marks the beginning of a new active season for Ukrainian farmers. The further results of the campaign will depend not only on crop yields but also on the organization of all post-harvest stages — from transportation and cleaning to drying and storage.