Spatial and Structural Analysis of Agricultural Production in Ukraine: Features of the Structure of Agriculture in Transcarpathia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58423/2786-6742/2025-11-72-88Keywords:
agricultural production, spatial analysis, structural analysis, household economies, Transcarpathia, Ukraine, sustainable rural developmentAbstract
The study analyses the spatial and structural characteristics of agricultural production in Ukraine between 2022 and 2024, with a particular focus on the Carpathian region, where household farms continue to play a decisive role. The problem is particularly relevant given that the structure and efficiency of production in the Ukrainian agricultural sector is being shaped by a combination of war, supply chain disruptions, and regional differences. The aim of the research was to explore how the ratio between corporate and household farms influences agricultural performance and what spatial patterns characterize different regions of the country.
The study used statistical and spatial economic methods, including Moran's I-index, which can be used to determine the degree of regional autocorrelation. According to the results, Ukraine's total agricultural output in 2024 was 1,077,943.2 million hryvnia, of which 80.4% came from crop production and 19.6% from livestock production. Large-scale production dominates in the counties of central and southeastern Ukraine (Vinnytsia, Poltava, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk), while in the western regions, especially in Transcarpathia, household farms account for the majority of production (87.1%). According to calculations, Moran's I value is 0.00764, which is extremely weak, indicating spatial autocorrelation close to zero. This shows that regional values of agricultural production do not exhibit a statistically detectable spatial pattern, with higher and lower performing counties located randomly, without geographical concentration. Production differences can therefore be explained not by geographical proximity, but primarily by economic, structural, and war-related factors.
The research has shown that the agricultural structure of Transcarpathia is unique in Ukraine: production is mainly self-sufficient and family-based, which is the basis for local food security and rural employment. The research points out that targeted support for household farms through national and international programs and vocational training is a fundamental condition for the sustainable development of the region and the social stability of rural communities.
References
1. Ibatullin, S., Dorosh, Y., Sakal, O., Krupin, V., Kharytonenko, R., & Bratinova, M. (2024). Agricultural land market in Ukraine: challenges of trade liberalization and future land policy reforms. Land, 13(3), 338. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030338
2. Kvartiuk, V., Bukin, E., & Herzfeld, T. (2024). “For whoever has will be given more”? Land rental decisions and technical efficiency in Ukraine. Land Use Policy, 146, 107336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107336
3. Teixeira da Silva, J.A., Koblianska, I., & Kucher, A. (2023). Agricultural production in Ukraine: An insight into the impact of the Russo-Ukrainian war on local, regional and global food security. Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 68(2), 121-140. https://doi.org/10.2298/JAS2302121T
4. Szajner, P., Szczepaniak, I., & Łopaciuk, W. (2024). An assessment of the production potential and food self-sufficiency of Ukraine against the background of the European Union and Poland. Sustainability, 16(17), 7735. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177735
5. Leal Filho, W., Fedoruk, M., Paulino Pires Eustachio, J.H., Paul, A., Barbir, J., Lisovska, T., Lingos, A., & Baars, C. (2023). How the War in Ukraine Affects Food Security. Foods, 12(21), 3996. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12213996
6. Kiforenko, О., & Szczepaniak, I. (2024). The War’s Impact on Ukraine’s Agricultural Production – Projections Vs. Real Data. European Research Studies Journal, vol. XXVII, issue 3, 241-269. https://doi.org/10.35808/ersj/3433
7. Wengle, S., Dankevych, V., & Mamonova, N. (2024). Farming the black earth: the history and politics of Ukraine’s agricultural land markets before, during and after the war. Land Tenure Journal, 1-24. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/96184d0f-e1c3-4c40-9a9e-084e4c25f4a8/content
8. Sitnicki, M.W., Kurinskyi, D., Pimenowa, O., Wasilewski, M., & Wasilewska, N. (2024). Strategic formation of agricultural market clusters in Ukraine: emerging as a global player. Sustainability, 16(21), 9430. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219430
9. Ilchuk, M., Us, S., Liubar, R., Androsovych, I., & Zanizdra, A. (2023). The main aspects of production optimization of agricultural business structures in Ukraine. Science and Innovation, 19(6), 51–64. https://doi.org/10.15407/scine19.06.051
10. Shubravska, O., & Prokopenko, K. (2022). The agricultural sector of Ukraine in the global food market: pre-war state and post-war prospects. Research on World Agricultural Economy, 3(4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v3i4.693
11. Erfan, V. (2024). Peculiarities of agritourism development: a regional view. European socio-legal and humanitarian studies, 3. https://doi.org/10.61345/2734-8873.2024.3.3
12. Razetsky V., & Spasky G. (2023). Rational use of agricultural lands for food production in Transcarpattia. Economy: Regional Development and Innovation, 1-2, 49-65. https://doi.org/10.47279/Economy_2023-01-21 [in Ukrainian]
13. Beley, N. (2019). Modern state and regional features of agricultural production specialization in Transcarpathia. Cherkasy University Bulletin: Economics Sciences, 2, 86–94. https://doi.org/10.31651/2076-5843-2019-2-86-94
14. State Statistics Service of Ukraine. (2025). https://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/operativ/operativ2017/sg/pro_sg/arch_pro_sg_p.htm [in Ukrainian]
15. Chen, Y. G. (2023). Spatial autocorrelation equation based on Moran’s index. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 19296. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45947-x
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Veronika Hanusych
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC License.
