How much do miscanthus rhizomes cost and what determines the price

Miscanthus rhizomes carry one price on the price list, and an established hectare costs something else entirely. When a farmer works out what establishment will come to, three factors matter: the price per unit, the planting rate per hectare, and what the supplier adds on top of the planting material itself. Let's take each in turn.

How many miscanthus rhizomes you need per hectare

The planting rate is the key figure in the budget. We plant 20,000–22,000 rhizomes per hectare, which corresponds to a pattern of roughly 70×70 cm. The exact figure is set after a site audit: soil analysis, water supply, annual rainfall, terrain and minimum temperatures.

On poor sandy and peat soils the density is pushed closer to the upper limit so that the sward closes over faster. Where moisture is good, the lower rate is enough.

How much a hectare of miscanthus costs

Miscanthus rhizome prices for the 2026 season are as follows, VAT included:

Payment terms	Price per rhizome	20,000 units/ha	22,000 units/ha
Prepayment by 15.06.2026	UAH 8	UAH 160,000	UAH 176,000
Orders from July 2026	UAH 9	UAH 180,000	UAH 198,000

The difference between the two rows is twenty thousand hryvnia per hectare. That is why the prepayment window opens in winter: those who plan establishment in advance pay less. Terms for the 2027 season are fixed in the commercial proposal.

What is included in the price besides the planting material

Buying rhizomes from us is a package, not a shipment of sacks. The price already includes:

• agronomic consulting and a technological map for your specific field;

• a feasibility study on biomass cost price;

• calibration of the planting machine by an engineer before work starts;

• confirmed provenance of the batch back to the mother plantation.

So a direct comparison along the lines of "they charge seven hryvnia and you charge nine" is not valid. What has to be counted is the cost of a hectare, taking establishment rate and technology into account, not a line on a price list.

Planting machine hire

The market still believes there is no equipment for mechanised miscanthus planting in Ukraine. There is. For rhizome buyers, hire of the planting machine costs UAH 4,000 per hectare including VAT. Output per shift: a four-row machine covers about 2.5 ha, an eight-row machine up to 5 ha. Delivery of the equipment to the field is paid by the client.

Buying your own planter only makes sense on large areas: according to specialists at the Leonid Pogorilyy UkrNDIPVT institute, a specialised machine costs around EUR 50,000.

What plantation establishment costs overall

Planting material is the largest cost item, but not the only one. On industry estimates, rhizomes account for around 80% of the cost structure of establishing a commercial plantation, with the rest going to machinery, soil preparation, fuel and labour.

After that, costs drop sharply. Miscanthus needs no annual ploughing, fertiliser or crop protection: the main investment is one-off, and the plantation works for over twenty years. According to calculations by our agronomist Vadym Krychkovskyi, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, in a pellet scenario the investment comes back around the fifth year: the crop builds strength over three seasons, and the following two harvests pay off establishment.

Field rhizomes and garden rhizomes are different products

The word "rhizome" appears both on a garden-centre price tag and on our price list. The product behind it is different, which is why the per-unit prices are not comparable.

A garden rhizome is intended for a single plant in a flower bed. It is planted by hand, its size and number of growth buds are not standardised, there is no controlled storage, and the variety's origin is not backed by documents. It is bought by the piece.

A field rhizome is material for mechanised planting. It is calibrated for the planting machine, has 5–6 growth buds, goes through controlled storage and is shipped in batches of 20,000–22,000 units per hectare, with provenance confirmed back to the mother plantation and documents for the variety. That is why the price lists for these two products are not comparable.

Why cheap planting material works out more expensive

Miscanthus rhizomes are living tissue, and the price here comes down to three things.

Establishment rate. The producer gives a guarantee on Terravesta Athena miscanthus rhizomes — provided the planting protocol is followed from start to finish. There is no guarantee on a batch of unknown origin, and the risk sits entirely with the buyer. If it establishes at 60%, you have paid for a full hectare and received two-thirds of a plantation, and the difference will have to be filled in by hand the following year.

Variety and documents. We supply rhizomes of a variety registered in Ukraine: certificate No. 24553001 and patent No. 250152, two separate documents covering the variety itself. Athena is sterile, non-invasive and drought-tolerant, yields up to 50% more than wild giganteus, with a higher calorific value and lower ash content.

Storage. From lifting to planting, rhizomes are held at around 1 °C, with no breaks in the cold chain. A breach of this regime at any stage is the most common cause of a failed first season, and you will only see it out in the field, when it is too late to change anything.

Payment schedule

Payment is split into three parts so that the full sum does not come out of working capital at once: 50% prepayment, then 30% by 1 September and 20% by 30 October.

Frequently asked questions

What determines the rate — 20 or 22 thousand per hectare?

The results of the audit: soil type, rainfall, terrain and water supply. The agronomist makes the call after a site visit or an analysis of field data.

Can I buy miscanthus rhizomes wholesale without the support package?

The technological map and consultations are part of the package in any case. We do not ship material blind, because we are answerable for the result in the field.

When should I order to make the spring planting window?

The miscanthus planting window runs from mid-April to the end of May. It is worth submitting a request in winter: that way you get both the prepayment price and a slot in the equipment schedule.

Are there special terms for large areas?

The per-unit price is fixed by the season's price list, but for large batches we agree the delivery schedule and equipment work separately. A calculation for your specific area comes with the commercial proposal.

Send us the area and the region — we will calculate the planting rate, the miscanthus plantation budget and a work schedule for your field.