Competition with traders complicates millers’ access to quality wheat — Rybchynskyi

On September 9, Rodion Rybchynskyi, Director of the Union “Millers of Ukraine,” spoke at the panel discussion “Ukrainian Flour: Challenges and Prospects for Bakers and Restaurateurs” during the PRO TISTO forum.

In his remarks, he emphasized that the quality and volume of flour production in Ukraine are directly linked to the availability of food-grade wheat. “Year after year, we see a decline in the supply of wheat suitable for milling. To harvest grain that meets the required parameters, farmers must invest more, yet these costs are not offset by the sales price. Ukrainian grain production is largely export-oriented, so the main competitors for millers are traders, who can offer higher prices and faster settlements,” Rybchynskyi noted.

According to him, another major challenge is farmers’ ability to store grain for extended periods, allowing them to hold onto stocks and wait for more favorable prices. This further restricts the access of milling enterprises to high-quality raw material.

At the same time, market requirements are also evolving: “Today’s consumers demand specialized flours for different types of baked goods. Very little of this flour is produced in Ukraine, and demand for certain types of specialty flour is currently met through expensive imports,” Rybchynskyi stressed.

He concluded by reminding that the industry is preparing for a transition to European standards of quality and safety — a change that will apply to both large industrial mills and craft-scale producers.