Ukrainian farmers do not know about the possibilities of selling harvested crops / Article

Crop fields warmed by the sun. Strong and mature ears. August is the hottest harvest time in Ukraine.

In the Kyiv region, Boris threshes grain day and night. Further from the front, farmers are not yet threatened by enemy shells.

“We always need bread. Without it, people have nothing. It is the most important thing,” said Boris.

However, as in other areas, there is uncertainty in Ukraine about what will happen next with the harvested grain.

“For the time being, we understand that the first ships are sending last year’s harvest, which has accumulated in the ports. And now it remains only to send and deliver to the destinations. The new harvest is not purchased yet. No one is interested in it. The price is according to the market, but there is no buying process itself,” said agronomist Oleksandr Sivokhorlov.

Farmers expressed that at the moment there is no question of profit at all. The main thing is to make ends meet somehow.

“At this time, the main goal is not to make money, but to survive. To give employees the opportunity to work and earn a salary. We have to pay for water. We have to pay taxes. For now, we are not talking about updating equipment, improving crop cultivation.

The main goal is to last a year until the port is unblocked and the issue of food trade is resolved,” said Sivokhorlov.

There is great concern that many farmers will not be able to sow their fields due to lack of funds, which will significantly affect next year’s harvest.

Since the UN, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia have reached an agreement, several ships with Ukrainian grain have been able to leave Ukrainian ports. However, it is still a small part of the total amount of grain or other food products. The process is slow and not possible in the volumes it used to be.

CONTEXT:

Ukraine’s agricultural sector is an important source of grain for world markets, especially in the Middle East and Africa, where the food security situation is particularly tense. However, due to the Russian invasion, grain exports almost stopped.

On July 22, Ukraine and Russia signed separate agreements with Turkey and the UN in Istanbul on the resumption of grain exports from Black Sea ports. Agreements brokered by the UN and Turkey provide for the creation of safe corridors through which Ukrainian ships can enter and leave three Black Sea ports in and around Odesa.

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