FAO, WFP, Mercy Corps and the Ukrainian Red Cross step up grain storage support to protect Ukraine's 2026 harvest

Ukraine is entering the peak harvest period at a time when disruptions to Black Sea export flows are further straining the country’s grain storage capacity. In response, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Mercy Corps, and the Ukrainian Red Cross – working closely with Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food – are launching a new programme to provide farmers with temporary grain storage solutions. Supported by the Government of Canada, the European Union, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and the United States Department of State, the initiative will help farmers across nine oblasts safely store their harvest as export constraints compound the impact of war-related damage to storage and logistics infrastructure.

Why timing is critical

Ukraine’s grain and oilseed production for the 2026/27 season is forecast at 84.18 million tonnes, around 6 percent above the previous year. However, the country’s effective storage capacity, reduced by war-related damage and losses, is estimated at just 58.97 million tonnes. With the main harvest underway and continued disruptions to export flows, Ukraine could face a storage shortfall of up to 11 million tonnes by November 2026, creating significant challenges for farmers and increasing the risk of post-harvest losses at a critical time for the agricultural sector.

For farmers, these pressures have immediate economic consequences. As grain exports slow and available storage capacity becomes increasingly strained, farm-gate prices are likely to come under pressure, forcing many producers to sell their harvest earlier and under less favourable market conditions. Reduced revenues weaken farmers’ ability to purchase critical inputs, including seed, fertilizer, and fuel, for the upcoming planting seasons. What begins as a storage challenge can therefore have far-reaching effects, undermining farm profitability, limiting future production and threatening the resilience of Ukraine’s agricultural sector. 

“Every tonne of grain that farmers can preserve is the result of their work and an investment in the next agricultural season. Our priority is to ensure that producers have the tools they need to protect that investment and remain economically viable. We are grateful to our international partners for responding quickly and joining efforts with the Government to deliver concrete support to farmers when it is needed most,” said Taras Vysotskyi, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.

A fast solution at national scale

Temporary grain storage offers a practical solution that can be deployed quickly and at scale. Each grain sleeve – a large, flexible plastic bag capable of holding around 200 tonnes of grain – can be installed directly on-farm, adding capacity wherever permanent storage is unavailable or insufficient. The new programme complements ongoing efforts to maintain and expand export routes, giving the sector additional capacity to manage grain while access to markets remains constrained.

"Ukraine's agricultural sector needs solutions that can match the speed and scale of the challenges it is facing. Temporary storage is one of them. It can be deployed quickly, at farm level and at significant scale, helping absorb immediate pressure while export and logistics constraints persist. FAO and its partners have demonstrated since 2022 that this model works, and we are building on that experience to respond to the needs of the current harvest," said Shakhnoza Muminova, Head of the FAO Office in Ukraine.

Since 2022, FAO and its partners have helped establish approximately 8.3 million tonnes of farm-level storage capacity across Ukraine. In addition to more than 37 000 grain sleeves, the support has included 958 modular storage units, providing farmers with both immediate and longer-term options to manage their harvest amid extensive war-related damage to agricultural infrastructure.

Who can receive support

Under the new initiative, grain sleeves will be made available free of charge to eligible grain and oilseed producers across nine oblasts, namely Chernihivska, Dnipropetrovska, Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, Mykolaivska, Odeska, Sumska and Zaporizka oblasts. The programme will help farmers address immediate storage constraints, reduce post-harvest losses, and preserve their harvest while disruptions to export and logistics routes persist.

Scaling up the response

The initiative is designed to prevent storage constraints from translating into post-harvest losses, reduced farm income and weaker production capacity, helping farmers protect the value of this year’s harvest and maintain their ability to produce in the seasons ahead. 

With needs expected to exceed currently available resources, FAO and partners are calling on additional donors to join the response and help scale up temporary storage support to reach more farmers, protect their harvests and incomes, and strengthen the resilience of Ukraine’s agricultural sector.