Ukraine’s agricultural landscape is rapidly transforming, with western regions increasingly asserting themselves as new centers of technological gravity. In just a few weeks, the Lviv region will host an event of special significance – “AGRO Lviv” Field Day 2026. Scheduled for June 24-25, this event will mark its debut in this region.
The proximity to the European border and the specific local terrain have shaped a unique agricultural management model in the Lviv region. Here, success is achieved not through the sheer volume of raw materials, but through their quality and in-depth processing. The region largely eschews the dominance of giant latifundia. Instead, approximately 1.4 thousand enterprises operate, where major corporations share the market with agile family farms.
For such a dynamic region, the introduction of its own Field Day by Agro Team Expo is more than just another machinery exhibition. It signifies the launch of a local business platform, where farmers won’t be offered abstract “giant machines” for steppes. In Kholodnovidka, the focus will be on smart, maneuverable equipment, precision farming technologies for smaller field contours, intensive horticulture, and tools that enable process automation amidst a shortage of personnel.
The primary value of this year’s premiere in Kholodnovidka lies in its localization. In the height of the season, producers will be spared the need for extensive logistics: all cutting-edge solutions – from energy-efficient machinery in action to precision farming innovations and flexible financial programs – will be gathered in one place. This presents a unique opportunity to witness firsthand the tools capable of optimizing costs and increasing the profitability of each specific hectare.
How does the Lviv region manage to retain a fifth of its GDP thanks to the agricultural sector? Why do relocated businesses choose this particular region? And what financial instruments is the region preparing to support small producers and veterans?
Yuriy Buchko, Deputy Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration
On the eve of the Field Day, we had the opportunity to speak with Yuriy Buchko, the Deputy Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration.
Agro Team Expo: What does the agricultural Lviv region represent today, and how has it changed over the four years of full-scale invasion?
— The agricultural production in the Lviv region is primarily based on about 1.4 thousand agricultural formations of various ownership forms and scales – from family farms to large agricultural enterprises. They are involved in cultivating grain and industrial crops, vegetable growing, fruit growing, and animal husbandry.
Before the war, the number of such agribusinesses was around 1.2 thousand enterprises.
The positive trend indicates that despite the challenging wartime conditions, agricultural formations continue to operate and develop gradually, and entrepreneurial activity in the agricultural sector persists.
The export of agricultural products from the Lviv region remains robust even during the war. The share of the agro-industrial complex in the region’s overall export structure is 36.6%, continuing to be one of the key drivers of foreign trade. Exports are primarily composed of fats and oils, grain crops, sugar and confectionery, fruits and vegetables, and meat.
In addition to the raw material component, over four hundred food industry enterprises operate within the region’s agro-industrial complex. Lviv has long and consistently focused on deep processing and the production of high value-added products. Currently, the region hosts meat processing, dairy processing, baking, and flour milling operations that supply the population with essential food items.
Concurrently, the production of beverages, confectionery, canned goods, oils, and fats is actively developing.
In summary, despite the war and logistical challenges, Lviv’s agricultural business demonstrates adaptability, gradually transitioning from a raw material model to products with higher added value, which forms the basis for further growth and strengthening of its position in external markets.
Agro Team Expo: If we were to summarize, is the agricultural Lviv region more of an agroholding or a farming enterprise?
— It’s a unique, market-healthy combination of large-scale production and the significant role of small farms. Approximately 62% of agricultural products are produced by agricultural enterprises and farms, while 38% come from households.
The former specialize in the production of grain crops, sugar beets, rapeseed, sunflowers, soybeans, and meat, catering to both domestic and export markets. The latter play a crucial role in producing labor-intensive goods: they account for about 90% of potato, vegetable, fruit, and berry, milk, and egg production. Furthermore, the individual sector holds about 80% of the cattle population, making it strategically important for the development of animal husbandry.
The agricultural model of the Lviv region represents a balance where large enterprises ensure volume and efficiency, while small farms provide food diversity and stability.
Agro Team Expo: What is the share of the agro-industrial complex in the structure of the regional economy?
— The Lviv region’s agro-industrial complex accounts for about 20% of the region’s GDP and contributes over 4.3% of Ukraine’s total agricultural output.
Agro Team Expo: What land resources support this indicator?
— The agricultural land area in the Lviv region is 1,240 thousand hectares, or 56.7% of the region’s total area. The sown area for agricultural crops exceeds 770 thousand hectares and grows annually due to the additional inclusion of arable land into agricultural circulation. This is facilitated by both the transfer of land for lease from landowners and the auctions for the right to lease agricultural land of communal ownership, allowing for more effective utilization of available land resources.
Agro Team Expo: Does the scale of agricultural production correlate with local budget revenues?
— Yes, and this figure is steadily increasing. Against the backdrop of current economic and security challenges in the country, the importance of such dynamics is hard to overestimate.
In 2025, the region’s agrarians paid UAH 2.9 billion in taxes and fees, which is almost UAH 0.6 billion more compared to 2024, or a 25% increase.
Local budget revenues grew due to a 27% increase in personal income tax (PIT) payments in 2025 (UAH 1.3 billion paid). The share of PIT in the total structure of paid taxes is 45%.
Agro Team Expo: If we characterize the region’s agriculture as an employer, what is it like?
— Exceptional. Out of Lviv Oblast’s 2.5 million population, 961.8 thousand people, or 39%, are rural residents, which accounts for a significant number of personal peasant farms. Among these, many effectively engage in production, cultivating from 2 to 10, and sometimes up to 50 hectares of land. The number of self-employed individuals in agriculture is 175.3 thousand people, or about 17% of the total employed population in the region.
Additionally, around 8 thousand hired workers are employed in the sector. The produce is used not only for personal consumption but is also actively sold in the market.
We aim to support such farms and encourage their gradual transition to more organized forms of activity, particularly the establishment of family farms. This process is already showing positive results: as of today, 158 family farms are registered in the region, which is perhaps the highest indicator among Ukrainian regions.
Agro Team Expo: The Lviv region has repeatedly been a target for the enemy, yet it is perceived as a safe haven for both citizens and businesses. How many agro-industrial enterprises have relocated to the region since February 2022?
— Since the start of the full-scale invasion, over 10 agricultural and related processing enterprises have relocated to the Lviv region from other parts of the country.
Significantly, some of them have not only relocated their operations but have also established new production facilities within the region, such as LLC “Lviv Bakery Complex,” or acquired existing farms, like FG “VREMYA” from the Donetsk region, which purchased FG “Merinos-Zahid.”
Among the relocated enterprises are producers of crop and livestock products, as well as processing companies that manufacture snacks, jerky, herbal teas, cocoa, confectionery, and bread.
Relocating agricultural enterprises is considerably more complex than relocating processing ones, as it requires forming a new land bank, obtaining land rights, and consolidating plots into a contiguous area. This demands significant time and financial resources, and it doesn’t always allow for the restoration of the previous level of efficiency due to differences in soil conditions, infrastructure, logistics, and staffing.
However, examples of successful adaptation, such as “SNEK TREYD YUEY,” relocated from the Kyiv region to Lviv in 2022, demonstrate the ability of enterprises to quickly recover and even increase production, enter new sales markets, and strengthen export positions.
Agro Team Expo: In recent years, the amount of funds allocated from the regional budget to support the agricultural sector has been among the largest in Ukraine. Why was supporting the agro-industrial complex prioritized?
— Local authorities and regional council deputies fully understand the crucial role of agriculture, which constitutes a significant portion of the region’s gross domestic product.
For 2026, UAH 22 million have been allocated from the regional budget to support agrarians. The funds are primarily directed towards supporting agricultural producers engaged in cattle farming.
In 2026, the support program for partial subsidization of financial leasing for the renewal of agricultural machinery and equipment will also continue.
A special emphasis is placed on supporting war veterans – they are provided with the opportunity to receive compensation for expenses incurred in acquiring essential production assets. Additionally, in 2026, a new financial support program for business entities growing vegetable crops (excluding potatoes), melons, and legumes (excluding soybeans) has been introduced in the region. Support will be provided in the form of a subsidy per hectare of cultivated land.
The main focus of the regional program is on supporting micro, small, and medium-sized business entities engaged in agricultural production.
However, it must be noted that the agricultural business is exceptionally active and does not rely solely on state support. In the first 9 months of 2025 alone, agrarians in the region attracted UAH 2.3 billion in domestic capital investments. In 2026, 21 more investment projects in the agricultural sector are being implemented in the region.
Agro Team Expo: Can the Field Day, supported by the Lviv Regional Administration, be considered a component of the region’s agricultural investment development?
— Absolutely. We operate on the principle that the era of planned economies is long past, and industry professionals best understand their priorities and needs. The state supports initiatives aimed at increasing production efficiency and profitability and welcomes general industry events that promote innovation and knowledge exchange. It’s excellent that Lviv will become a platform for such Expos, providing agricultural producers the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest solutions and technologies without leaving the region.
Agro Team Expo: What impact do you anticipate from the “AGRO Lviv” Field Day 2026 for the region’s agricultural sector?
— I am confident that every farmer-visitor will take something valuable from this event, tailored to their specific needs. On our part, we support and encourage any business activity in the agricultural sector aimed at enhancing the sector’s capacity, increasing employment, and ultimately, strengthening the Ukrainian state.
For Reference. The conversation with Yuriy Buchko, Deputy Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration, clearly demonstrates: the region’s agricultural sector is confidently breaking old stereotypes. Today’s demands require farmers to be not just raw material producers but agile businessmen who calculate logistics to the European border, invest in deep processing, and work efficiently on every hectare.
The inaugural “AGRO Lviv” Field Day 2026 in the village of Kholodnovidka is a logical response to market demand. Agro Team Expo is creating not just an exhibition ground, but a unique ecosystem where small family farms, relocated enterprises, and large agro-companies can find tailored solutions for their needs.
The establishment of such a tradition in Lviv is an investment in the financial stability of the entire region, which derives a fifth of its GDP from working the land. Ahead lie two days of intensive networking and demonstrations – it’s time to put new technologies into action!
See you in the field!
