Agriculture in wartime conditions
Despite all of the losses and challenges, farmers in the Ukraine are continuing their work and are even investing further. They are working at the limit and are challenged anew every day. Endless fighting, extreme weather conditions, unpredictable prices, a lack of logistics and difficult sales channels characterise everyday life.
Vasil Shtendera, the owner of the Dodola 2021 Ltd. farm in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine, is a fan of no-till farming. He has been working very successfully with this method for more than 15 years. Precise farming and state-of-the-art technology are a matter of course for him. Before the war, he harvested two crops a year from one field - soya was sown on irrigated fields after the winter crop.
Do what is possible
The Russian invasion suddenly turned all of the farm's fields - around 4,200 ha in total where previously wheat, rapeseed, sunflowers and soya were grown - into a theatre of war which was criss-crossed by lines of defence. “Our normal life collapsed from one moment to the next. Nevertheless, we did what we could. Firstly, we helped the local people: We produced flour and oil and distributed the goods. We also supported hospitals with fuel deliveries to ensure the power supply. And, of course, we evacuated our employees and their families,” Vasil Shtendera recalls.
They also had to take care of the technology immediately. As checkpoints jeopardised the transport, many machines were hidden in private gardens and in the yards of employees who had remained on site. Smaller machines were even literally buried in the ground. Thus, they managed to save at least some of the important technology.
Looting was a daily occurrence on the farm and in the warehouses: lorries, the crane system, irrigation equipment as well as a Merlo loader with a lifting height of 9 m and a JCB machine disappeared. Around 300 tonnes of fertiliser (liquid AHL), crop care agents and seeds were stolen. The storage drums for 150 to 200 tonnes of liquid fertiliser were damaged and destroyed. The irrigation system was frayed beyond repair. Moreover, fields were burnt by enemy rocket attacks. For example, at the beginning of March 2022, 180 ha of winter wheat (expected harvest: 4 t/ha), 200 ha of winter rapeseed and a further 150 ha of rapeseed were destroyed within one harvest season. The total damage amounts to over UAH 40 million (approx. EUR 1 million) - not including the irrigation system.
The state emergency service of the Ukraine reported that 156,000 km² are likely to remain mined. Mine clearing will require 37 billion dollars and over 10,000 engineers. Since the beginning of the war, 128 Ukrainian farmers have been killed by mines.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture, the losses in the agricultural sector have been amounting to more than 11 billion Dollars since the beginning of the war and the sum continues to rise. A significant part of the damage is due to the destruction and looting of agricultural machinery. A great deal of grain storage capacities (high silos and elevators) was destroyed, and the grain stored in them was destroyed or stolen. A smaller but still significant part of the losses can be attributed to the destruction of perennial orchards.
New start in the middle of the war
In November 2022, up to 70% of the fields were reclaimed successfully. However, the regeneration took until June 2024. About 80% of the employees have since returned. Dodola 2021 Ltd. currently employs 30 people.
The technology was repaired single-handedly by the farm staff. In addition, the fields had to be demined. As there were no government programmes yet and state aid was limited to emergencies, the farm hired a mine clearing service at its own expense. “There was hardly any official help to be expected. And because it was a matter of survival, we took care of it ourselves,” Vasil Shtendera says.
He selected the fields that could be cleared quickly and cheaply. However, many steps had to be taken beforehand: first of all, they had to get back on their feet economically. Therefore, it was necessary to sell the remaining pre-war harvest. However, most grain traders refused because the roads were destroyed, and the routes were unsafe. There was a lack of logistics, and the goods had to be transported a long way as Kherson had lost access to the sea. The processing infrastructure, too, was destroyed. Logistics in the region were 1.5 times to twice as expensive as in other parts of the country and transport routes were twice as long. Thus, cost-covering work was not possible.
Nevertheless, it was possible to sell part of the old harvest. With the money that was still available from the pre-war period and with private funds, Vasil Shtendera was able to close a contract for the demining of 1,500 hectares - at a cost of 7.5 million UAH (the equivalent of around 187,000 euros). A late seeding date, the 14th June 2023, was scheduled for these fields with sunflowers and soya. Without irrigation, 1.45 t/ha of soya and 1.98 t/ha of sunflowers were harvested. This harvest allowed for paying the rent for 2023.
Own strategy for mine clearing
Testing new technologies has always been a passion of the innovative farmer. And he also developed his own system for mine clearing. The spring was wet, and the rapid weed growth made the work more difficult. Agricultural drones were used for weed control and herbicide application - a major challenge as because of the war no licences were granted for drone flights. Therefore, all work had to be coordinated with the local municipal authorities and the military. The application of herbicides had two effects: Firstly, it fought the weeds in the field, and secondly, it helped to speed up the mine clearing process and make it safer. In order to optimise the process, the villagers were involved, as they knew exactly where the troops had been and where mines or booby traps might have been laid. The fields were then searched with metal detectors. Thanks to the active help of army engineers, a further 1,500 hectares were demined by June 2024.
The price for mine clearing work in difficult areas can be up to 350 UAH/m² which is the equivalent of 350,000 UAH/ha (approx. 87,500 Euros/ha). The fields that were crossed by a line of defence are always particularly affected. In the case of Vasil Shtendera, this applied to around 1,000 hectares. Up to 300 mines per field (47 ha) were found in these fields.
The incurring costs also depend on the degree of weed infestation, the type of contamination (remnants of artillery shells or mines) and so on. For the mine clearing of these 1,000 ha, Vasil Shtendera received subsidies from humanitarian programs. There are now around 400 hectares of dangerous anti-personnel mines left.
Reliable co-operation and new investments
Over the past two years, Vasil Shtendera invested over 30 million UAH (approx. 750,000 Euros) in the reconstruction of his farm. Long-standing business relationships and corresponding credit lines allowed for purchasing new machines. Before the war, he leased an 18 m HORSCH Avatar seed drill for which the financial burden, of course, continued. However, due to many years of trustful co-operation, a restructuring of the debt was arranged. He also managed to obtain a loan from a World Bank programme at low interest rates (3 to 7 %). To ensure logistics, Shtendera bought five new lorries. He also purchased a self-propelled HORSCH Leeb VL sprayer which he had already paid a deposit on before the war. For Vasil Shtendera, it is the key machine for no-till farming. For the farm needs powerful, large technology. The previous sprayer was old, and the spare parts situation was problematic.
The leased HORSCH Avatar with 18 m working width is used for the direct seeding of cereals and rapeseed. It is the first machine of this type in the region. In October, the Avatar was heavily damaged when passing over a mine. Fortunately, the driver only suffered minor injuries. 
The self-propelled sprayer HORSCH Leeb VL was purchased this year.
Restricted working conditions
While previously the machines used to work around the clock during the season in order to make optimum use of the time windows, it is now strictly forbidden to work outside the farm premises during the curfew, i.e. between 9.00 p.m and 5.00 a.m. This considerably reduces the available time especially for herbicide application. The early morning hours from 5 a.m. and the evening hours between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. therefore have to be planned well and utilised as efficiently as possible.
Seeding only takes place during the day. “With our powerful machines, it really worked well,” Vasil Shtendera confirms. Winter rapeseed, sunflowers and soya were sown with a Maestro 24.70 SW and a Maestro 36.50 SW, cereals with the older Pronto 12 NT and the new Avatar 18.25 SD.
Rapeseed currently produces the highest yield, but it is also the most demanding crop. Rotation had to be extended in view of the available time windows. Maize was included in the rotation this year. Although wheat was less profitable, it remains one of the main crops in the fields.
The shortage of skilled labour and the lack of shelter for the equipment are further challenges. It is far too risky to overwinter the machines in a warehouse, so they still have to be hidden and secured accordingly. It is not uncommon that technical damage occurs as a result. Therefore, every detail and every button have to be checked before the start of the season. However, there is a shortage of skilled agricultural technicians for service and field work in the region.
Harvest in extreme heat and drought
This year was extremely hot and dry. There were no moisture reserves. Only 50 to 60 mm of precipitation fell in the first half of 2024 while the annual average in this region amounts to around 380 mm. Because of the mine clearing, additional moisture evaporated from the upper soil layer. “Our soils have not been cultivated for 10 to 15 years. This kept some moisture in the soil. Farms that cultivated their fields with a disc harrow for levelling only suffered losses,” Vasil Shtendera says.
Temperatures were above 40° C for quite a long time. This often led to fires and also made it difficult for wild animals to find food. For example, 4 hectares of sunflowers were completely eaten up by hares. Because of the high temperatures, many maize cobs dried out. The result: significant harvest losses.
The fact that the fields had been left fallow for around two years also affected the harvest. Weeds were able to spread rapidly. This year, the wheat yield was 3.5 t/ha, and the rapeseed yield amounted to 2.0 t/ha.
“Because of the late seeding date, a profitable sunflower harvest was also not to be expected. In general, we started harvesting two weeks earlier than the average in previous years. I've never experienced anything like this before,” Vasil Shtendera sadly reports.
Harvest itself was a challenge. The farm has its own combines and normally hires four other machines from a contractor. As many contractors did not want to come to the region because of the dangerous situation, an alternative had to be found. Fortunately, the ‘Zhniva Peremohy’ foundation provided harvesting machines free of charge this season.
Main risks: explosion and fire hazards
“Due to the drought and the high temperatures, but also in view of the ongoing attacks - we are still in a 20 kilometres zone from the front line - we also have to be constantly ready to fight fires. There have already been fires as a result of shelling and we had to extinguish them in entire villages, on our own as well as on neighbouring fields. For us, this means being on our guard every day, constantly under pressure,” Vasil Shtendera states.
There is still a risk that bombs will be dropped by drones over the fields to burn the harvest or hit a combine that is currently working in the field. The farm is therefore working closely with the military reconnaissance forces in order to be warned in due time.
There is a lot at stake: on the one hand, the responsibility towards employees, landlords and lenders is high. On the other hand, the crops have to be removed from the field quickly and in good time.
In the meantime, selective measures have been taken to prevent the fire from spreading: the field boundaries were cultivated with the Tiger MT cultivator and the Joker RT disc harrow and then divided into 50-hectare strips. “This definitely saved our harvest. Of course, we also were lucky. But the main thing is that the work wasn't in vain,” Vasil Shtendera emphasises.
Why tillage?
Vasil Shtendera has been relying on direct seeding for many years. As already mentioned, there are fields where the soil has not been cultivated for 10 to 15 years.
He had purchased tillage equipment like the Tiger and the Joker before the war to prepare the land for the planned irrigation system which was to be installed gradually on all fields. However, after the Kakhovka dam was blown up, technical irrigation will not be possible in this region in the long term. This primarily affects winegrowers, but also vegetable and berry growers.
Recently, Vasil Shtendera has started to use the Tiger and the Joker to prepare and level fields that were previously leased by other farmers who are now giving up their farms because they can no longer run them economically. In addition, the burnt fields also have to be cultivated after the harvest. Efficiency is important in this respect: if a cultivator is used, then it is used to simultaneously apply fertiliser (especially phosphorus) deep in the soil.
In general, Shtendera tries to maintain the soil structure and soil cover with stubble residues. Even fields with bomb craters are not cultivated. Instead, the craters are filled in with an excavator and levelled. This year, the field boundaries were also recreated digitally as the size of the farm and the field structure have changed due to the newly rented fields.
Challenges and solutions in logistics
Due to the farm’s logistics machinery, it was possible to establish a co-operation with grain trading companies. As storing the harvest in the own grain silos still is too risky, they agreed to store the harvest with the companies and sell it as required. The production was delivered by the end of the year and then sold in batches. Thus, it was possible to keep the business running and even pay off the debt burden in 2024.
The company's machinery includes a lot of technology from the HORSCH portfolio. 
The company's machinery includes a lot of technology from the HORSCH portfolio.