Russian Invasion Reducing Ukraine’s Grain Exports To A Trickle, Agriculture Minister Warns

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The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is making it progressively more difficult for the country to export grain, Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said in a televised briefing Saturday, warning the situation is having a “dramatic” impact on global markets.

Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said Saturday (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Ukraine’s grain shipments have dropped from 4 million to 5 million tons per month to a few hundred thousand, Solskyi said.

He said, “Every day the situation will become more and more difficult“ for the country’s grain exports if the war continues.

Ukraine was the world’s sixth-largest exporter of wheat in 2021 with a 10% share of the market, shipping 20 million tons of wheat and meslin (a mixture of wheat and rye), according to the United Nations, and the country is also one of the world’s top exporters of barley and sunflower seeds.

The U.N. predicted that somewhere between 20% to 30% of Ukraine’s crops would be left unharvested in the 2022-23 season due to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

The drop in Ukraine’s grain exports could increase international food and feed prices by 8% to 22% above current levels, the U.N. said, which were already sharply elevated.

Key Background

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has destroyed infrastructure and closed ports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Italy’s parliament Tuesday that a famine could impact countries around the world if the war continues to disrupt Ukrainian farmers’ ability to do their work. In early March, Ukraine blocked exports of certain agricultural products, including rye and oats, and the government now requires sellers to obtain permission to export products such as wheat and corn. The U.N.’s international food price index rose to an all-time high in February.

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