Ukrzaliznytsia's freight tariff hike will critically impact agro export – Ukrainian Agri Council

Ukrainian farmers, who, despite wartime challenges, provide the country with foreign currency revenue and ensure food security, are facing a new threat: Ukrainian Railways' (Ukrzaliznytsia) intention to raise freight transportation tariffs, said Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Agri Council (UAC) Denys Marchuk during the national TV marathon.

"Harvesting is still underway in Ukraine. Nearly 80% of the planned areas have been harvested. Some corn remains in the fields due to weather conditions, but we expect a harvest of about 60 million metric tonnes of grains and about 20 million metric tonnes of oilseeds. Figures that surpass last year's. At the same time, export efficiency has become an issue as the pace has slowed. Compared to last year, we are about 6 million tonnes behind. The reasons include both delays in fieldwork and enemy attacks on port infrastructure," the UAC press service quoted him as saying.

Marchuk stressed that Ukrzaliznytsia's planned tariff increase could prove critical for farmers. The cost of transportation is expected to rise by 27% starting January 1, 2026, with an additional 11% increase six months later. Such an approach is unfair and economically unjustified, he said.

"Agricultural commodities are already the most expensive to transport, while the construction and coal sectors are effectively subsidized by the state. According to UAC estimates, the additional financial burden on producers due to the new tariffs will exceed $200 million per year," he said.

The UAC said that it has already appealed to the prime minister, urging immediate intervention to prevent decisions that would undermine the competitiveness of Ukrainian exports and the financial stability of producers.