Wait for better prices: grain bags delivered to farmers in Mykolaiv region

Farms in Mykolaiv Oblast have received grain storage bags with a total capacity of 500,000 tonnes. These temporary storage facilities will allow farmers to avoid selling their harvest at today’s low purchase prices and wait for better offers.

Volodymyr Afanasiev, chief specialist in the Agricultural Production Department of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration’s Department of Agricultural Development, spoke about the assistance at a briefing.

In 2026, the region harvested 2.8 million tonnes of grain. This is 800,000 tonnes more than last year, but a larger harvest does not mean farms can sell it all. At the same time, farmers are spending more and more on fuel and fertilisers.

“Despite harvesting a substantial crop, the most pressing issue for farmers remains selling their produce. Due to a significant drop in purchase prices linked to the blockade of ports, farms are unable to sell their produce in full,” said Volodymyr Afanasiev.

Options for storing the harvest are also limited: not all farms have their own warehouses and grain elevators. In addition, Russian attacks have damaged some of the infrastructure.

A grain storage bag is a large airtight container made of multilayer polymer film. It is used as temporary storage directly on a farm’s premises. One such bag can hold around 200 tonnes of grain.

The bags can be used to store:

• wheat;
• barley;
• corn;
• legumes;
• oilseed crops.

Ukraine and the UN agreed on assistance with harvest storage in August. International partners said they were ready to provide up to 10,000 grain storage bags, as well as modular storage facilities. Around 60% of the temporary storage capacity was planned for frontline regions and areas most severely affected.

We previously reported:

• More grain, harder to sell: Mykolaiv Oblast farmers harvest 2.8 million tonnes
• Storing grain and preparing for sowing: Italy to help farmers in Odesa Oblast
• Farmers may lack funds for sowing: Ukrainian agricultural producers have lost 60% of their reserves
• UN and international donors to provide Ukraine with up to 10,000 grain storage bags
• Free modular grain storage facilities from FAO: Mykolaiv Oblast farmers can apply