Economic efficiency pulse growth in Ukraine

The study aimed to investigate the economic efficiency of buckwheat and oats cultivation in Ukraine for the period 2020-2024, incorporating production costs, yields, price changes, climate risks and the impact of state support. The regional coverage of the study included the northern, western, southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, including Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Kirovohrad, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which provided a comprehensive analysis within different agro-climatic conditions. The research methodology was based on the analysis of official statistics from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, case studies of farms, regulatory cost calculations, assessment of yields, price dynamics and profitability using economic and statistical analysis methods. The cost of key production inputs, including the cost of seeds, fertilisers, crop protection products, land lease, fuel and machinery, was addressed. The study determined that the average cost of growing buckwheat (16.9 thousand UAH/ha) was higher than that of oats (15.9 thousand UAH/ha), but due to the higher average selling price, buckwheat provided higher profitability (46.2% vs. 34.8%). The study found a significant impact of agricultural technologies and regional conditions on yields: buckwheat showed the best results in Chernihiv, Zhytomyr and Lviv regions, and oats in Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kirovohrad regions. Seasonal and average annual price fluctuations were summarised: in years of drought, buckwheat prices increased by 20- 25% and oats by up to 12%, which compensated for crop losses. The role of government subsidy programmes, preferential lending and agri-insurance in increasing profitability by 10-15% in the medium term was analysed. Additionally, the efficiency of conventional and organic production models was investigated, considering premium pricing in the European Union markets. The results of the study can be used by farm managers, agro-consulting companies, and state and local authorities to make decisions on the choice of technological approaches, planning production strategies, cost optimisation and development of the export potential of niche crops