Organisational and economic aspects of production and sale of niche crops

Mykola Ilchuk, L. Berezovska
Abstract

Despite the significant advantages of producing niche crops, producers often face several challenges, such as imbalances in supply and demand, high resource intensity and a significant share of intangible costs, which complicate large-scale implementation and require in-depth scientific analysis to find effective solutions. The study aimed to develop and substantiate an economic mechanism for the production and sale of niche grain crops. In the course of the research, the following scientific methods were used: data collection and analysis, bibliographic method, method of economic analysis, modelling and logical generalisation. The study provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of production and sales of niche cereals in Ukraine, namely: buckwheat, rye, oats, millet, sorghum and rice. The analysis included estimates of area, gross harvest, yield, domestic consumption, imports and exports. The study showed a significant reduction in the area under niche grain crops in 2022 caused by military operations in Ukraine. The area under rice decreased by 93.8%, sorghum by 76.7%, millet by 55.8%, rye by 47% and oats by 19.1%. The study calculated the total normative food requirement for the production of niche cereals and concluded that the food requirement for rye bread (20.3%) and rice (12%) produced in Ukraine is insufficiently met. An assessment of imports of niche cereals showed that rice traditionally accounted for the largest share of imports: 81.18% in 2015, 82.39% in 2022 and 98.76% in 2023. Based on the results, an economic mechanism for the production and sale of niche crops, including resource provision, production organisation, logistics, marketing, financial analysis, efficiency control and state regulation, was compiled. The results of the study are of practical value for producers of niche crops seeking to diversify their operations, adapt to market and climate change, and increase the economic efficiency of production and marketing

Keywords

niche crops; innovative diversification strategies; exports; imports; marketing; logistics

Suggested citation
Ilchuk, M., & Berezovska, L. (2025). Organisational and economic aspects of production and sale of niche crops. Economics and Business Management, 16(2), 9-23. https://doi.org/10.31548/economics/2.2025.09
References
  1. Areas, gross harvests and yields of agricultural crops by their types and by regions in 2023. (2024). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2023/sg/pvzu/pvz23.zip.
  2. Areas, gross harvests and yields of agricultural crops by their types and by regions in 2022. (2023). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2023/sg/pvzu/pvzu_2022.xlsx.ziptat.
  3. Areas, gross harvests and yields of agricultural crops by their types and by regions in 2021. (2022). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2022/sg/pvzu/pvzu_2021.zip
  4. Areas, gross harvests and yields of agricultural crops by their types and by regions in 2020. (2021). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2020/sg/pvzu/pvzu2020_xl.zip
  5. Boiko, L. (2023). Niche crops for the revitalization of agribusiness in times of uncertainty. Tavriiskyi Naukovyi Visnyk. Series: Economics, 17, 44-49. doi: 10.32782/2708-0366/2023.17.6.
  6. Boiko, L.O. (2024). Competitiveness of niche crops in agribusiness under conditions of uncertainty. Agrosvit, (20), 72-77. doi: 10.32702/2306-6792.2024.20.72.
  7. Brockmueller, B., Tautges, N.E., Vereecke, L., & Silva, E.M. (2022). Spring-seeded winter rye living mulches enhance crop biodiversity and promote reduced tillage organic soybeans. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.926606.
  8. Budget subsidies for sowing rye and buckwheat. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://agrovolyn.gov.ua/article/byudzhetni-subsydiyi-za-posiv-zhyta-ta-grechky.
  9. Burliai, A., Burliai, O., Revutska, A., Smolii, L., & Klymenko, L. (2021). Organizational and economic risks of agricultural greening. Agricultural and Resource Economics, 7(1), 96-114. doi: 10.51599/are.2021.07.01.06.
  10. Carrasco-Chilón, W.L., Alvarez-García, W.Y., Cervantes Peralta, M.E., Quilcate, C., & Vásquez, H.V. (2023) Rye production under acid soils and drought conditions: An alternative for the sustainability of high andean livestock farming in peru. Sustainability, 15(14), article number 11431. doi: 10.3390/su151411431.
  11. Commodity structure of foreign trade of Ukraine for 2015 (refined data). (2016). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2015/zd/tsztt/tsztt_u/tsztt1315_u.htm.
  12. Commodity structure of foreign trade of Ukraine for 2020. (2021). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2020/zd/tsztt/tsztt_u/tsztt1220_ue.xls.
  13. Commodity structure of foreign trade of Ukraine for 2021. (2022). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2021/zd/tsztt/tsztt_u/tsztt1221_ue.xls.
  14. Commodity structure of foreign trade of Ukraine for 2022. (2023). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2022/zd/tsztt/tsztt1222_ue.xls.
  15. Commodity structure of foreign trade of Ukraine for 2023. (2024). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2023/zd/tsztt/tsztt2023_ue.xls.
  16. Demianenko, T. (2024). Formation organizational and economic mechanism management development industrial enterprise. Development Service Industry Management, 3, 19-25. doi: 10.31891/dsim-2024-7(3).
  17. Dibrova, A., Baidala, V., Mirzoieva, T., Stepasyuk, L., Chmil, A., & Dibrova, L. (2024). Forecasting and modelling the rye market, as a niche grain crop, under conditions of increasing mineral fertiliser costs. Scientific Horizons, 27(11), 52-67. doi: 10.48077/scihor11.2024.52.
  18. Domestic consumption of grains in Ukraine from marketing year 2021/22 to 2024/25, by type. (n.d.). Statista Market Forecast. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1379636/ukraine-grain-consumption-by-type/.
  19. Fedirets, O. (2021). The essence and principles of forming the organizational and economic mechanism for the development of agri-food enterprises. Economy and Society, 28. doi: 10.32782/2524-0072/2021-28-56.
  20. Grain technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kc.pnu.edu.ua/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2021/02/Chemical-technology-of-food-productsLectures6.pdf.
  21. Harvesting of agricultural crops, fruits, berries and grapes in the regions of Ukraine. (2016).  Statistical bulletin. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2016/bl/03/bl_zysk15xl.zip.
  22. Ilchuk, M., Berezovska, L., Tomashevska, O., & Ivanov, Y. (2023a). Improving the system of environmental taxation of carbon dioxide emissions in Ukraine during the post-war period.Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, 9(1), 91-115. doi: 10.51599/are.2023.09.01.05.
  23. Ilchuk, M., Nikitchenko, S., Sytnyk, O., & Pavlenko, V. (2023b). Diversification of entrepreneurial activities in the agricultural sector of Ukraine’s economy in the post-war period. Ekonomika APK, 30(4), 25-35. doi: 10.32317/2221-1055.202304025.
  24. Kalenska, S., & Naidenko, V. (2019). Economic evaluation of growing hybrids of grain sorghum in conditions of the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 78(2), 110-110. doi: 10.31548/dopovidi2019.02.008.
  25. Kalenska, S.M., & Novytska, N.V. (2024). Niche crops: Lecture course for master's degree students in specialty 201 "Agronomy" (Part 1). Kyiv: LLC “Center of Polygraphy ‘Komprint’”.
  26. Klein, J. (2022). Oatly wants farmers to plant more oats. Here’s how it’s helping. Retrieved from https://www.greenbiz.com/article/oatly-wants-farmers-plant-more-oats-heres-how-its-helping.
  27. Kucher, A.V., Kucher, L.Yu., & Pashchenko, Yu.V. (2021). Export potential of niche cultures in the formation of sustainable development of enterprises and regions. KHNAU Bulletin, Series: Economic Sciences, 2(2), 17-40.
  28. Population by region (estimated) as of February 1, 2022, and average population in January 2022. (2022). State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2022/ds/kn/kn_0122_ue.xls.
  29. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine  No. 1424 “On approval of the lists of goods subject to export and import licensing and quotas for 2022”. (2021, December). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1424-2021-%D0%BF#Text.
  30. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine  No. 77 “On approval of the Procedure for the use of funds provided for in the state budget for financial support of agricultural producers”. (2017, February). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/77-2017-%D0%BF#Text.
  31. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine  No. 780 “On approval of food packages, non-food packages, and service packages for major social and demographic groups of the population”. (2016, October). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/780-2016-%D0%BF#n10.
  32. Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine  No. 886 “On approval of the procedure for the use of funds provided for in the state budget for state support of agricultural producers by allocating budget subsidies per unit of cultivated land”. (2021, August). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/886-2021-%D0%BF#Text.
  33. Titarenko, O. (2022). Economic evaluation of the efficiency of grain sorghum growing. “Agrobiology”, 2, 200-206. doi: 10.33245/2310-9270-2022-174-2-200-206.
  34. Tomashevskyi, V. (2024). Analysis of the current state and economic efficiency of buckwheat production as an important niche cereal crop. Economy and Society, 65. doi: 10.32782/2524-0072/2024-65-76
  35. Van Zonneveld, M., Kindt, R., McMullin, S., & Dawson, I.K. (2023). Forgotten food crops in sub-Saharan Africa for healthy diets in a changing climate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(14), article number e2205794120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2205794120.
  36. Vasylenko, O.V., Feshchenko, V.V., Chubko, O.P., & Hnatyuk, N.O. (2024). Diversification of farms towards the cultivation of niche crops as an element of climate change adaptation strategy. Ukrainian Journal of Natural Sciences, 9, 191-199. doi: 10.32782/naturaljournal.9.2024.19.
  37. Vasylieva, N., & Nazarenko, D. (2025). Comparative analysis of agribusiness diversification of niche grain crops. Agrosvit, 7, 35-40. doi: 10.32702/2306-6792.2025.7.35.
  38. Volodin, S. (2021). Stimulating the production of niche crops in Ukraine based on fastplant technologies. Ekonomika APK, 2, 82-91. doi: 10.32317/2221-1055.202102082.
  39. Міrzoieva, Т., Stepasyuk, L., Diachkov, D., Nitsenko, V., Velychko, O., Lozynska, T., & Kapelista, I. (2024). Prospects for the production of niche grain crops in the context of the need to ensure food security. Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska, 26, 568-586. doi: 10.54740/ros.2024.051.