Representatives of Ukrainian agriculture expect a further decline in the harvest of grain and oilseeds this year as a result of the Russian war of aggression. The area under cultivation will shrink once more, and a total harvest of 53 million tons is forecast for 2023 – following 65 million tons last year, said the President of the Ukrainian Grain Association, Nikolai Gorbachev, at a conference in Paris today.
Ukrainian farmers had harvested a record 106 million tons in 2021 before the Russian invasion. This made Ukraine the fourth largest exporter of corn in the world and on track to become the third largest exporter of wheat. According to Gorbachev, the war led to fuel shortages, the destruction of agricultural equipment and storage buildings, and a quarter of the area under cultivation.
Russia blocks deliveries
Gorbachev named the ongoing blockade of grain deliveries by Russia from the Ukrainian Black Sea ports as another negative influencing factor. It had triggered a price increase that hit developing countries in particular. “It became unprofitable for farmers to produce grain, so they reduced the area under cultivation,” Gorbachev said.
He warned that export volumes were unlikely to reach the level needed to ease world market prices. Europe “can afford it, but not the developing countries,” said the head of the Ukrainian association.