Three almond orchards have already been established in Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region, where growers are testing varieties capable of adapting to the country’s climatic conditions. The first full commercial harvest from the young plantations is expected next year, EastFruit reports.
According to Hennadii Yudin, President of the Ukrainian Nut Association, Ukraine remains almost entirely dependent on almond imports. In 2015, the country imported around 572 tonnes of almonds, while by 2025 imports had exceeded 4,200 tonnes, worth approximately $23–24 million.
The association estimates that Ukraine would need to establish at least 3,000 hectares of almond orchards to meet domestic demand.
The development of commercial almond production is also supported by the Ukrainian government. Under the state grant programme for horticulture, growers may receive up to UAH 400,000 per hectare for establishing commercial orchards. Almond cultivation is eligible for support in 16 regions of central and southern Ukraine.
One of the farms currently testing the crop is Maksym Manoilenko’s orchard in the village of Tsvitne. Around 50 almond trees have already been planted there, mainly using frost-resistant planting material. The grower plans to gradually expand the orchard area.
Near the village of Podorozhnie, the “Almond Orchards” nursery is producing planting material and testing 13 varieties of Spanish and French origin. These include self-fertile cultivars with late and extra-late flowering periods.
Last year, the nursery harvested its first crop from three-year-old trees.
One of the main challenges associated with traditional almond varieties is their early flowering period, which makes blossoms particularly vulnerable to spring frosts.
For this reason, the new varieties are being evaluated primarily for their resistance to low temperatures and drought. According to agronomists, five-year-old almond trees can produce up to 2 tonnes per hectare under favourable growing conditions.
The trials are also being carried out in cooperation with Spanish specialists. The results are expected to help identify the varieties best suited for large-scale commercial almond production under Ukrainian climatic conditions.
Currently, there are 19 almond orchards in Ukraine, including three in the Kirovohrad region.
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