Barley Leads Exports to the EU: What It Means for the Crop Protection Market

Ukrainian barley has strengthened its position in the EU market: exports rose to 69.83 thousand tonnes from 1 July to 25 October 2026, compared with 18.96 thousand tonnes over the same period last year. Ukraine became the European Union’s largest barley supplier for the first time.

For crop protection product sellers and buyers, these figures are a reason to keep a closer eye on the barley segment, but not a basis for automatically forecasting changes in demand for specific products. The statistics provided contain no information on planted areas, phytosanitary conditions or crop protection product sales.

What the export figures show

According to APK-Inform, Ukraine’s share of EU barley imports during this period rose from 10.18% to 30.9%. Total barley imports into the European Union increased by 21.3% to 225.96 thousand tonnes.

This confirms the stronger position of Ukrainian barley in trade with the EU. However, export figures do not show which herbicides, fungicides or other crop protection products farms will need.

How crop protection product sellers and buyers can use this signal

AgroPost users working with barley should clearly specify the crop and intended use of a product in their listings. This will help buyers narrow their search more quickly and allow sellers to present their offers more accurately, without making unsubstantiated claims about application results.

When choosing a product, refer to the current label, its registration for the intended use and expert advice. Export figures are no substitute for assessing crop conditions and do not determine a crop protection programme.

What these figures do not confirm

• Rising barley exports do not prove that demand for crop protection products has increased.
• The statistics do not include prices for herbicides, fungicides or other products.
• The figures provided cannot be used to assess planted areas or farms’ crop protection needs.

What this means for the market

Barley has become more prominent in Ukraine’s trade with the EU, so its segment is worth considering when working with crop protection product offers. However, sellers and buyers need separate data on planted areas, phytosanitary needs and product availability before drawing conclusions about demand. On AgroPost, users should search for and post offers that clearly specify the crop and the product’s intended use.