Grain as Collateral and Silos Control: Changes for Grain Sellers in Ukraine

The Ukrainian grain market is entering a period where for sellers, not only the price of wheat or corn matters, but also access to working capital, storage quality, and the speed of confirming shipments under contracts.

Recent signals from the financial and elevator segments indicate that grain is increasingly viewed not only as a commodity for sale but also as a liquid asset that can be used to attract financing and plan shipments.

Lending against grain: the collateral weight of the harvest is increasing

The National Bank of Ukraine is set to increase the collateral coefficient for grain from 0.4 to 0.75. This means that banks will be able to evaluate grain as collateral for loans at a significantly higher rate than before.

For example, previously, a ton of wheat valued at 10,000 UAH could secure a loan of about 4,000 UAH, whereas at the current lower price of 6–7 thousand UAH per ton, the loan could be approximately 4,500–5,000 UAH per ton.

This is important for farms during periods of price decline. Instead of quickly selling the entire batch to cover operational costs, farmers can consider grain as collateral and postpone sale until better conditions or a specific buyer appears.

The "5-7-9" program: more room for working capital

Within the framework of the updated "5-7-9" program, farmers, according to the government, can attract up to 80 billion UAH in credit funds for working capital financing. The interest rate for such loans has been reduced to 10%.

It is also permitted to use the entire loan amount for operational expenses and to extend existing loans. For the grain sector, this can become a tool to reduce the need to sell the harvest immediately after harvest, when market supply is traditionally higher.

For grain sellers on AgroPost, this is a practical signal: if there is an opportunity to store grain and confirm its quality, announcements can be built not only around price but also around readiness for shipment, class, moisture content, weight, and other parameters that interest buyers.