Experts name most profitable crops in 2015

"According to estimates by research fellows of the Agricultural Economics Institute, the most profitable is the production of rice (80.5%), grapes (71.5%), millet (66%) and rapeseed (57.2%)," the institute's press service said.

It is noted that the profitability of these crops has been growing for several years in a row. For example, the profitability of rice production in 2013 was 18%. Last year it more than tripled to 58%. The profitability of millet production last year stood at 41%, 13.7 times up on 2013 (3%). The profitability of rapeseed production last year rose to 29% from almost 9% in 2013.

"Only the profitability of grape, which is projected at 71.5%, although exceeding by almost 10 percentage points last year's figure of 61%, still does not reach the profitability level it had in 2013 at 101.7%," the institute said.

In general, experts expect the profitability of crop production in 2015 will stay at approximately 26%, which 11.3% lower compared to 2014, according to the institute.

The profitability of grain production is forecast to decrease to 19% in 2015, which is lower by 25% year-over-year. The production of oats and sorghum has a negative profitability ratio of 'minus' 6%.

Profitability of vegetable production in the open field is forecast to decrease by one third, to 12% year-over-year. The profitability of fruit production will decline to 17% in 2015, against 68% in 2014 and 155% in 2013. Production of sugar beet will be loss-making in 2015 (-12%) and potatoes (-11%), although last year these crops were profitable.

As UNIAN reported earlier, experts estimate that the profitability of livestock production in Ukraine in 2015 will drop by one third to 8.1% year-over-year. The profitability of agricultural production in 2015 is expected to reach 22.4%, which is 13.2% lower than in 2014. This drop in profitability in the agricultural sector is attributed to faster growth in prices for material and technical resources and services rendered for the sector, as compared to the increase in prices for agricultural goods.