Ukraine’s agricultural map is rapidly changing, with western regions increasingly asserting themselves as new centers of technological gravity. In just a few weeks, the Lviv Oblast will host an event of special significance – Agro Lvіv Field Day 2026. For the first time, this event will take place in the village of Kholodnovidka from June 24th to 25th.
Proximity to the European border and the specific local terrain have shaped a unique farming model for the Lviv Oblast in Ukraine. Here, the focus is on earning not from the quantity of raw materials, but from their quality and deep processing. The region practically lacks the traditional dominance of giant latifundia. Instead, approximately 1.4 thousand enterprises operate, where large companies share the market with agile family farms.
For such a dynamic region, the launch of its own Field Day by Agro Team Expo is more than just another machinery exhibition. It signifies the creation of a local business platform where farmers will not be offered abstract “giant machines” for the steppes. At Kholodnovidka, the focus will be on smart, maneuverable equipment, precision agriculture technologies for small field contours, intensive gardening, and tools that automate processes amidst a labor shortage.
The primary value of this year’s premiere in Kholodnovidka is localization. In the midst of the peak season, producers do not need to spend time on distant logistics. All advanced solutions – from energy-efficient machinery in action to precision farming innovations and flexible financial programs – will be gathered in one place. This is a unique opportunity to see firsthand the tools that can optimize costs and increase the profitability of every specific hectare.
How does the Lviv Oblast manage to retain one-fifth of its GDP thanks to the agricultural sector? Why do relocated businesses choose this particular region? And what financial instruments is the oblast preparing to support small producers and veterans?
Yuriy Buchko, Deputy Head of the Lviv Oblast State Administration
On the eve of the Field Day, we had the opportunity to speak with Yuriy Buchko, the Deputy Head of the Lviv Oblast State Administration.
Agro Team Expo: What does agricultural Lviv Oblast represent today, and how has it changed over the four years of full-scale invasion?
— The agricultural production in the Lviv Oblast is based on approximately 1.4 thousand agricultural formations of various forms of ownership and scales – from family farms to large agricultural enterprises. They are engaged in growing grains and industrial crops, vegetable farming, horticulture, and livestock breeding.
Before the war, the number of such agricultural businesses 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 remains robust.
The export of agricultural products from the Lviv Oblast remains stable under wartime conditions. The share of the agro-industrial complex products in the overall structure of the oblast’s exports is 36.6% and continues to be one of the key drivers of foreign trade. The export structure is formed by 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 in the region’s agro-industrial complex. Lviv Oblast has long and consistently developed deep processing and the production of high value-added products. Today, meat processing, dairy processing, baking, and flour milling enterprises operate within the oblast, supplying the population with basic food products.
Concurrently, the production of beverages, confectionery, canned goods, oils, and fats is actively developing.
In summary: despite the war and logistical challenges, Lviv Oblast’s agricultural business demonstrates adaptability, gradually shifting from a raw material model to products with higher added value, which forms the basis for further growth and strengthening of positions in foreign markets.
Agro Team Expo: To summarize, is agricultural Lviv Oblast more of an agroholding or a farming enterprise?
— It is a unique, market-healthy combination of large-scale production and a significant role of small farms. Approximately 62% of agricultural production is generated by agricultural enterprises and farms, while 38% comes from households.
The former specialize in the production of grain crops, sugar beets, rapeseed, sunflower, soybeans, and meat, focusing on both domestic and export markets. The latter play a key role in the production of labor-intensive products: they account for about 90% of the production of potatoes, vegetables, fruits, and berries, milk, and eggs. Furthermore, individual households account for about 80% of the cattle population, making them strategically important for the development of animal husbandry.
The agricultural model of Lviv Oblast represents a balance where large enterprises ensure volume and efficiency, while small farms ensure food diversity and stability.
Agro Team Expo: What is the share of the agro-industrial complex in the structure of the regional economy?
— The agro-industrial complex of Lviv Oblast forms about 20% of the oblast’s GDP and also accounts for over 4.3% of Ukraine’s gross agricultural production.
Agro Team Expo: What land resources support this figure?
— The area of agricultural land in Lviv Oblast is 1240 thousand hectares, or 56.7% of the total area of the oblast. The sown area of agricultural crops exceeds 770 thousand hectares and grows annually by attracting additional arable land into agricultural circulation. This is facilitated both by the transfer of lands for rent from landowners and by holding auctions for the right to rent agricultural land of communal ownership, which allows for more efficient use of available land resources.
Agro Team Expo: Does the scale of agricultural production correlate with local budget revenues?
— Yes, and this indicator is steadily growing. Against the backdrop of current economic and security challenges in the country, the importance of such dynamics is hard to overestimate. For 2025, farmers in the oblast paid UAH 2.9 billion in taxes and fees, which is almost UAH 0.6 billion more compared to 2024, or 25%. Local budget revenues increased due to a 27% increase in personal income tax in 2025 (UAH 1.3 billion paid). The share of personal income tax in the total structure of taxes paid is 45%.
Agro Team Expo: If we characterize the region’s agriculture as an employer, what is it like?
— Exceptional. Out of the 2.5 million population of Lviv Oblast, 961.8 thousand people, or 39%, are rural residents, which leads to a significant number of personal peasant farms. Among them are many who actually engage in production, cultivating from 2 to 10, and sometimes up to 50 hectares of land. The number of self-employed in agriculture is 175.3 thousand people, or about 17% of the total employed population of the oblast.
In addition, about 8,000 hired workers are employed in the sector. The products produced are used not only for personal consumption but are also actively sold on the market.
We strive 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 oblast, which is perhaps the highest indicator among the regions of Ukraine.
Agro Team Expo: Lviv Oblast has repeatedly been targeted by the enemy, yet it is perceived as a safe haven for both citizens and businesses. How many agro-industrial complex enterprises have relocated to the oblast since February 2022?
— After the full-scale invasion began, over 10 agricultural and related processing enterprises from other regions were relocated to Lviv Oblast.
Importantly, some of them not only relocated their activities but also created new production facilities within the oblast, such as LLC “Lviv Bakery Complex,” or acquired existing farms, like FG “VREMYA” from the Donetsk Oblast, which purchased FG “Merinos-Zakhid.”
Among the relocated enterprises are producers of crop and livestock products, as well as processing enterprises manufacturing snacks, jerky, herbal teas, cocoa, confectionery, and bread.
The relocation of agricultural enterprises is significantly more complex compared to processing enterprises, as it requires the formation of a new land bank, obtaining land rights, and consolidating plots into a single mass. This demands considerable time and financial resources, and it does not always allow for the restoration of the previous level of efficiency due to differences in soil conditions, infrastructure, logistics, and staffing.
At the same time, examples of successful adaptation, such as “SNEK TREYD YUEY,” relocated from the Kyiv region to Lviv Oblast 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 oblast budget to support the agricultural sector of the economy has been among the largest in Ukraine. Why was support for the agro-industrial complex identified as a priority?
— Local authorities and oblast 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 oblast budget to support farmers. The funds are primarily directed towards supporting agricultural producers involved 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 compensate for expenses incurred in acquiring fixed production assets. Furthermore, in 2026, a new financial support initiative has been introduced in the oblast for business entities growing vegetable crops (excluding potatoes), melons, and legumes (excluding soybeans). Support will be provided in the form of a subsidy per hectare of cultivated land.
The main focus of the oblast program is on supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises engaged in agricultural production.
However, it must be stated that the agricultural business is exceptionally active and does not rely solely on state support. In the first 9 months of 2025 alone, farmers in the oblast attracted UAH 2.3 billion in domestic capital investments. In 2026, 21 more investment projects in the agricultural sector are being implemented in the oblast.
Agro Team Expo: Can the Field Day, supported by the Lviv Oblast Administration, be interpreted as part of the region’s agricultural investment development?
— Absolutely. We operate on the principle that the times of planned economy are long gone, 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 is excellent that Lviv Oblast will become a platform for such Expos, and agricultural producers will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the latest solutions and technologies without leaving the oblast.
Agro Team Expo: What effect do you expect from the Agro Lvіv Field Day 2026 for the region’s agricultural sector?
— I am confident that every visiting farmer 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 increasing the sector’s capacity, creating more jobs, and ultimately strengthening the Ukrainian state.
For reference. The conversation with Yuriy Buchko, Deputy Head of the Lviv Oblast State Administration, clearly demonstrates: the oblast’s agricultural sector is confidently breaking old stereotypes. Today’s reality requires farmers to be not just raw material producers but flexible businessmen who calculate logistics to the European border, invest in deep processing, and work efficiently on every hectare.
The staging of the debut Agro Lvіv 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 initiation of such a tradition precisely in Lviv Oblast is an investment in the financial stability of the entire region, which generates one-fifth of its GDP through land cultivation. Two days of intensive networking and demonstrations lie ahead – it’s time to put new technologies into action!
See you in the field!
