Blocked exports from Ukraine will inevitably lead to a global food crisis, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy stresses.

Ukraine is a major world producer and exporter of grain, and almost all of its export traditionally come from Black Sea ports.

Ukrainian agricultural production is concentrated on more than 30 million hectares of arable land. This allows the country to fully provide food and have significant surpluses for export. In addition, the available supplies of grain and oil inside the country cover two years of domestic consumption, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy.

Monthly grain export before the war amounted to 4-5 million tons, so the agricultural sector provided a stable inflow of foreign exchange earnings. Thus, based on the results of 2021 grain export from Ukraine amounted to 51,2 million tons for the amount of 12,5 billion US dollars, which is almost the same as shipments in 2020 in physical terms, but 31% more than in cash.

The war radically changed all the achievements of Ukraine's export potential, as seaports have been blocked and the Black Sea is mined.

The lack of opportunities to export agricultural products will inevitably lead to the global food crisis. Besides this, money from export is needed for the economy of Ukraine as a whole and for farmers themselves for sowing, which has already begun, despite the war.

The first batches of corn of several thousand tons have already been exported across Ukraine’s western border. However, by railway from Ukraine to Europe it can be exported up to 600 000 tons of grain a month. Therefore, the renewal of export by other means of transportation is an extremely important sphere  of ​​work in times of war.

The recovery of Ukraine's economy directly depends on the establishment of grain export, and world food security - on the Ukrainian bread - said the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy.

Reference source: Diia.Business.Export