b"On the Road to European IntegrationAdvancing Ukraines seed industry during the Russian invasion. By Marcel BruinsWHEN THE FULL-SCALEinvasion began, WHY IT MATTERS Ukrainian companies faced numerous challenges, In June 2022,with safety and business continuity as top priori-Ukraine achievedties. According to Serhiy Tymoshenko, CEO of EU candidate status.MAS Seeds Ukraine, the company had developed However, to gainan emergency action plan in advance, which full membership,helped them quickly adapt to wartime realities. the country mustIn the early weeks, part of the workforce was fulfill numerousrelocated abroad, while others moved to western requirements, including significantUkraine. Warehouses were also shifted westward, transformationsas a considerable volume of seed had yet to be in its agriculturaldelivered to buyers.sector. While mostDespite all obstacles, the company's plant in the legal frameworksDnipropetrovsk region, located just 200 km from regulating qualitythe front line, resumed operations by March 2022. standards andMeanwhile, production plans had to be adjusted the distribution of land under cultivation for certain crops was various agriculturalreduced due to occupation.products have already beenOne of the most challenging issues was logis- Sunflower field in Ukraine.SOURCE: GRANO DORO UKRAINEadopted, thetics. Relocating warehouses was complicated by Europeannumerous checkpoints in frontline areas, which Commissionsdeterred many transport companies from trave- Ukraine. In 2024, most agribusinesses have adapted report indicatesling through these regions. The blocked seaportsand resumed operations. Grain and seed exports that Ukraine is stillmade exports impossible, as about 95% of MASare gradually recovering, aided by the partial reo-in the early stagesSeeds' international shipments were done by sea.pening of seaports and alternative logistical routes. of preparing forRelatively stable logistics were restored in AugustHowever, challenges remain: high logistics costs, membership. Seed2023, when the Black Sea grain corridor fromdamaged infrastructure, and a labor shortage due World Europe dove in to find out whatOdesa reopened. to mobilization and migration.is the current stateIn winter 2022, prolonged power outages signifi- The loss of 20% of agricultural land in occu-of the industry, andcantly impacted production, increasing the risk ofpied territories has prompted farmers to rethink what lies ahead?reduced product quality or complete loss of largetheir crop strategies. There is a clear trend toward Participants involumes of seed. In 2023, the company acquireddiversification: agricultural enterprises, including Ukraines seeda powerful generator, minimizing dependence onlarge agribusinesses, are experimenting with grow-market share theirelectricity and allowing for future contract planning. ing non-traditional crops for Ukraine, such as flax, perspectives. sorghum, coriander, and peanuts. This shift is driven 2024: A Year for Reevaluating Businesspartly by the search for more profitable alternatives Models to traditional crops like corn, whose profitability has Tymoshenko notes that compared to 2022-2023,declined.farmers are much more optimistic about theThe opening of a new sea corridor has been a future, thanks to the ability to export grain at rela- major success, as Ukraine supplies a significant por-tively favorable prices. tion of grain not only to Europe but also to many This statement is shared by SiuzanaAfrican countries. Stable deliveries of Ukrainian Grygorenko, Director of the Seed Association ofgrain are crucial to avoiding food crises in these 40/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2025"