For the first time, Ukraine has entered the top three largest suppliers of soybean meal to the EU in the 2024/25 marketing year, increasing its share to 4% (up from 3% in the 2023/24 marketing year).
This is reported by the information agency APK-Inform.
The growth in exports occurred amid high demand from the EU, favorable pricing conditions, and the expansion of soybean processing capabilities in Ukraine. According to the European Commission, from July to the first decade of February 2024/25, the volume of Ukrainian soybean meal shipments to the EU increased to 429,000 tons, which is 72% higher than the same period in the previous season.
The most significant export growth occurred in recent months, when large processors began shipping in substantial volumes, particularly by water transport. This became possible due to higher profitability of soybean processing compared to sunflower seeds.
Previously, about 90% of Ukrainian soybean meal exports were shipped by rail via the western border due to challenges in forming large export batches for sea transport.
The main buyers of Ukrainian soybean meal in the EU remain Poland and Hungary, with Spain and France increasing their share from December 2024.
