79% of corn in Israel is from Ukraine: how grain became part of the country’s food security

It is primarily about feed corn and imports: Israel hardly grows it on an industrial scale, so Ukrainian 934 thousand tons may account for about 79% of Israel’s corn imports.

Israel entered the top five largest buyers of Ukrainian corn at the end of the 2025/2026 marketing year.

This is not just agricultural statistics.

For Israel, this figure is directly related to feed, poultry, eggs, the dairy industry, prices for basic products, and the country’s food security.

According to data provided by Fixygen with reference to the Ukrainian Grain Association, Ukraine exported 21 million tons of corn during the season. The largest buyer was Turkey — 6.5 million tons. Next are Italy — 3.8 million tons, Spain — 1.9 million tons, Netherlands — 1.7 million tons, and Israel — 934 thousand tons. The total export of grain and oilseeds from Ukraine in the 2025/2026 marketing year amounted to 41.1 million tons, which is 12% less than in the previous season.

Why almost a million tons is a lot for Israel

Against the backdrop of Turkey, which purchased 6.5 million tons of Ukrainian corn, Israel’s 934 thousand tons may seem like a modest figure.

But for Israel, the scale is different.

Israel is a small country with limited land and water resources.

It cannot meet its internal needs for feed grain with its own production.

According to the FAS USDA — the international agricultural service of the US Department of Agriculture — Israel is almost entirely dependent on corn imports for the feed and starch industry.

The USDA report on Israel directly states that the country is a minor producer of corn due to water restrictions, growing mainly sweet corn and popcorn, and is entirely dependent on imports for the feed and starch industry. The same report forecasts Israel’s corn imports for the 2025/2026 marketing year at 1.18 million tons.

If you compare this figure with Ukrainian supplies of 934 thousand tons, it amounts to approximately 79.15%.

That is, Ukraine can cover about 79% of Israel’s corn imports this season.

This is no longer secondary trade.

This is a key part of Israel’s feed chain.

Where Ukrainian corn goes in Israel

It is important to understand: it’s not about corn on the cob that you buy in the supermarket.

The main use is the feed industry.

Corn in Israel goes into compound feed, and through it — into the production of chicken, eggs, milk, turkey, fish, and other livestock products.

The USDA notes that corn is the main commodity for the Israeli feed industry, with the primary demand coming from poultry and egg production. Corn feed is also used for the dairy sector, turkey, fish, and other ruminant animals.

That is why Ukrainian corn in Israel is not just grain at the port.

It’s the future chicken on the shelf.

It’s eggs.

It’s dairy farms.

It’s part of the cost of products that Israelis buy every day.

When Ukraine supplies Israel with almost a million tons of corn, it is essentially participating in maintaining the country’s internal food chain.

War, logistics, and Ukraine’s resilience

Ukrainian grain exports continue to operate under conditions of war, infrastructure strikes, and complex logistics.

Yes, overall exports have decreased.

But even so, Ukraine managed to bring 21 million tons of corn to foreign markets, and according to UkrAgroConsult, as of July 1, 2026, corn exports in the 2025/2026 marketing year amounted to 21.28 million tons, which is 3.1% less than the previous year.

For Ukraine, this is an indicator of resilience.

For Israel, it is an indicator that the Ukrainian direction remains important and operational even in wartime conditions.

Corn goes not only to Europe.

It goes to the Mediterranean, the Middle East, to countries for which stable grain supplies are a matter of prices and internal food security.

Israel is not an accidental buyer here.

It is located in a region where food logistics always depend on the sea, ports, freight prices, war, politics, and the risk of route blockages.

Why this topic has become political

There is another important layer.

In 2026, the grain topic has already become a cause of tension between Ukraine and Israel.

Ukraine claimed that Russia was exporting grain from occupied Ukrainian territories and trying to sell it through international schemes. Reuters reported that Kyiv summoned the Israeli ambassador, handed over a note of protest, and accused Israel of insufficient reaction to grain supplies that Ukraine considers stolen. The Israeli side responded that evidence should be provided through official legal channels.

Separately, there was a case with the vessel Panormitis, which, according to the Ukrainian side, was transporting grain from areas occupied by Russia. Ukraine asked Israel to detain the vessel and cargo, check the documents, take grain samples, and interrogate the crew. As a result, the vessel left Israeli territorial waters and did not unload in Israel.

Against this backdrop, legal Ukrainian corn becomes even more significant.

There is normal trade with Ukraine.

There is a transparent supply of Ukrainian grain.

And there is a separate problem — attempts by Russia to monetize the occupation through the export of agricultural products from captured territories.

For Israel, this should not be a gray area.

If a country buys grain from a war region, it is important to clearly understand the origin of the product.

Israeli interest: not just price

Ukrainian corn is beneficial for Israel.

The reasons are clear: geography, logistics, price, familiar trade routes, and large volumes.

The USDA separately notes that Israel, despite wanting to diversify imports, is likely to continue purchasing grain and feed from the Black Sea basin due to price and proximity.

But after 2022, price can no longer be the only criterion.

Buying legal Ukrainian corn is a normal economic connection.

Buying grain of questionable origin is a risk to reputation, diplomacy, and relations with Ukraine.

This is where the topic becomes broader than a regular agricultural report.

NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency views such stories not as dry stock statistics, but as part of the real Israeli-Ukrainian agenda.

Because behind the figure of 934 thousand tons is not just export.

Behind it are farmers in Ukraine, ports, logistics, Israeli poultry farms, dairy farms, feed factories, and the final price of products for families in Israel.

What this means for the Israeli consumer

For the average Israeli, Ukrainian corn may be invisible.

It doesn’t sit on the shelf with a Ukrainian flag.

It is not sold as a separate brand.

But it can be inside the entire chain.

Through compound feed, it affects chicken production.

Through poultry farming — on eggs.

Through dairy farms — on milk and dairy products.

Through the feed industry — on the sustainability of livestock farming in conditions of war, high logistics costs, and internal pressure on Israel’s agricultural sector.

Therefore, almost a million tons of Ukrainian corn is not just foreign trade.

It is part of everyday life in Israel, which usually remains behind the scenes.

Main conclusion

Israel entered the top five largest buyers of Ukrainian corn.

Ukraine supplied Israel with 934 thousand tons.

If you compare this with the forecasted Israeli corn imports at 1.18 million tons, it amounts to about 79%.

That is, Ukraine today is one of the key suppliers of corn for Israel.

And this makes the Ukrainian-Israeli agricultural connection much more important than it seems at first glance.

In conditions of war, disputes over the origin of grain, and the growing importance of food security, it is important for Israel not just to buy grain.

It is important to buy it transparently.

It is important to understand where it comes from.

And it is important not to forget that Ukrainian corn is not just a commodity.

It is part of the economy of a country that is at war, exports, feeds international markets, and remains an important partner for Israel.

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