Farming.in.ua

Currently there is a ban on the sale of farmland in Ukraine (moratorium on land sales) so it is not possible to directly buy farmland. This applies both to Ukrainian and foreign investors. However farm businesses can be bought and foreigners can lease (rent) land. This is best done by setting up a Ukrainian limited company - foreigners can own 100% of such a company. NOTE: Please do not believe people who tell you that foreigners need to operate here through Ukrainians. The moratorium on land sales is due to expire in early 2008 but it may be extended for a short while, however it is expected that it will be lifted within 1-3 years.

The probable lifting of the ban has fuelled speculation in Ukrainian farmland and Ukraine is experiencing the largest investment boom in farming in modern times in the world! Join it!

Ukraine has a great variety of soils. During recent large-scale soil map-making, there were found some 650 types of soil while the total number of soil varieties comes to several thousand. Ukrainian soil science has determined and studied the characteristics of 1,217 soil varieties. And the territory of Ukraine is relatively small and does not have sharp natural contrasts.

Ukraine`s soils have been thoroughly studied. In addition to that, the specific territorially differentiated and scientifically-grounded methods to improve soil fertility have been developed. A network of research and development laboratories is in place. They systematically study the soils of agricultural enterprises, administrative districts and regions of the country. The availability of skilled personnel and the appropriate material and technical base to carry out laboratory investigations had a positive effect upon the general standard and the profundity of study of the country`s soil characteristics. What`s more, some specialists participate in the field study of soils in neighboring countries on the basis of contractual relationships.

Soil cover is known to form due to a number of soil-forming factors. They include above all parent rock, its chemical content and grain-size distribution, man`s activity, the influence of animals and microorganisms, as well as climate, terrain, the absolute height of a given locality, vegetation, etc. Certain types of soils get formed depending on the interaction of all these factors. All soils in Ukraine have a distinctly zonal character (both horizontal and vertical).

Among the great variety of Ukrainian soils, there are seven major types. Each of them in turn consists of a number of subtypes. The major types of Ukraine`s soils are as follows: turf-podzolic and turfy; brown forest and brown-podzolic; gray-forest; black-earth and chestnut-colored; brown and marshy; malty.

Similar types and subtypes of soils can occur within several zones. Each type and subtype has its specific features of formation, natural potential of fertility, area of extension and requires differentiated agro-industrial methods of fertility improvement.

Gray forest soils are to be found in the forest-steppe zone and the southern parts of the Polissya area. Depending on the degree of manifestation of the forest or steppe process of soil formation, they are classifies as clear-gray, gray and dark-gray subtypes and are characterized by a low humus content and high acidity.

Widespread in Ukraine are black-earth and brown soils, the former ones being most furtile.and occupy the largest area in Ukraine ( nearly 60 % of all farmlands). Their wide strip stretches from east to west( in the forest-steppe and steppe zones). They have a high humus content (4-9 %), moderately moist. The layer thickness is 1-1.5 meters. The formation of the different types of black earth is dependent on the latitudal geographic zoning.

Brown and red-brown soils occur in the south and the subtropical areas (on the southern side of the main range of the Crimean mountains). The humus content is 3-3.5 %. These soils are formed in conditions of insufficient moistening (in the warm seasons).

Meadow and marshy soils do not in full measure come within the zonal distribution principle, although the best climatic conditions for their formation and functioning are exactly in areas with sufficient moister content: the western and northern parts of Ukraine. Salinity is typical of meadow and marshy soils in steppe areas. Meadow soils are formed in conditions of high moistening, and marshy soils in conditions of very high, excessive moistening. The most frequent among marshy soils are: marshy-mineral, uliginous-clay and humus-clay subtypes, as well as subtypes with layers of peat of different thickness (turf-clay, peat-clay and peatbogs). Peat layer thickness may vary (10-500 ?m and more). To rationally use all meadow and marshy soils requires drainage and moistening melioration activities. However, the large scale melioration operations, mostly of a drainage nature, that were intensively carried out in Ukraine, specifically in the Polissya area, did not always produce the desired effect. The reason being that the creation of the melioration network considerably outstripped the construction of water accumulation systems. This resulted in excessive drainage of lands, and large areas were flooded during heavy rains.

The mixed forest zone located in north Ukraine, coincides with the polissya area. Prevalant here are turf- and week- and medium podzolioc soils. They account for almost 60% of the entire zone. These soils do not abound with nutritious substances. The degree of their plowing up is rather high. Ranking second (20 % of the area) are turf and meadow soils which are normally situated in low places and are used mostly as hayfields ad pastures. Nearly 10 % of the Polissya area are taken up by peatbogs and peat marshy soils. They are characterized by a high moisture content and the acidity of soil solution.

The forest-steppe zone of Ukraine has a rather varied soil cover. Prevailing here are gray and dark-gray subpodzolic soils, as well as typical subpodzolic and, less often, regraded black-earth soils; saline soils occur in some places. The most fertile black-earth soils are in the Volyn-Poldillya and Dnieper hills, as well as in the Dnieper left bank area.

Most of southern Ukraine has regular black earth (over 20 % of the entire steppe zone). The thickness of the humus layer of these soils is not very high. Various types of southern black-earth soils occur in the southern part of the zone. The area that directly adjoins the Black Sea and the sea of Azov ahs mostly dark-brown soils. Practically all soils in the southern part of the steppe zone are saline and often salinized. Patches of alkali soils occur in the steppe.

In the Carpathian zone (the foothills, the Precarpathia and the Ukrainian Carpathians proper) abound mostly in brown forest and turf soils. There is a distinct zoning of soil cover in the mountain areas.

Black earth and gray forest-steppe soils, as well as brown-earth soils occur in the mountain area of the Crimea. The southern steep slopes overhanging the Black Sea are covered with brown and brown-red soils.

Generally, Ukraine`s soils are characterized by high natural fertility. Prevelant are varieties of black-earth soils the most fertile of them being typical black-earth, regular black-earth and southern black-earth soils (they account for 18.1%, 27.7% ?? 8.9% of the total area of the country`s farmland). Some 10% of farmland is occupied by subpodzolic and regarded black earth; s?me 6%, by black earth and turf soils on solid rock, black earth on loamy-sand and sand rock, and meadow-black earth soils. Large areas are taken up by turf-subpodzol (nearly7%), subpodzolic (5%) and gray-forest (6.7%) soils which are characterized by relatively high natural fertility. Brown (some 9%), meadow (2%), turf (1,3%) and other soils also occur.

Given scientifically-based farming, Ukraine`s soil cover makes for efficient agricultural development, high agricultural output and excellent stable harvests.