Ukraine is preparing to develop forest planting material as a possible export product for the European Union. According to government estimates cited by agricultural media, sales of planting material from five main species could generate almost five million euros in annual export revenue, with projected profit of about two million euros.
The focus is on pine, spruce, fir, larch and oak. These species are important for reforestation, climate adaptation and commercial forestry. Ukraine wants to build a competitive internal market for seedlings while creating conditions for export to EU countries.
Nurseries become industrial infrastructure
The country already has nine modern forest nurseries with total capacity of 14 million seedlings a year. By 2030, the plan is to more than double that capacity to 30 million seedlings. The government is also working on modern forest seed production, upgrading seed centers and changing legislation.
Container seedlings are the key part of the strategy. In the EU, annual sector capacity is about 2.4 billion seedlings, and 44 percent are seedlings with closed root systems. Ukraine’s internal need for such seedlings is about 20 million units, while export potential is estimated at another 10 million units a year.
The business case is not only about selling young trees. Modern seed centers create skilled jobs, support reforestation quality, improve traceability of planting material and help forestry move toward more predictable production cycles. Competitive cost can make Ukrainian seedlings attractive if certification and logistics are aligned with EU requirements.
Several legal issues still need work. Officials discussed a draft law on forest reproductive resources, changes to the Forest and Land Codes, land-use rights for forestry plots, rules for reorganized enterprises and electronic logging permits. Without transparent rules, the sector will struggle to attract investment and scale beyond domestic needs.
