fuel, seeds, fertilizers
Ukraine asks for help for agricultural sector
04/08/2022, 07:20 am
Ukraine is one of the most important agricultural countries in the world. But the war also affects farmers. Now the EU member states should deliver relief supplies as quickly as possible. Because a crop failure could lead to famine in many countries.
Ukraine has sent the EU a detailed list of the aid it needs for its globally important agricultural sector. EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers that Ukrainian farmers need, among other things, “fuel, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary medicines and agricultural machinery”. Member States mandated the Commission to coordinate the delivery of the aid.
“This aid must be brought to them very quickly, in the next few weeks, in time for sowing corn and sunflowers,” said Wojciechowski on the sidelines of the meeting in Luxembourg, which was also attended by the Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Solsky. French minister Julien Denormandie reported that Kyiv “strives to maintain agricultural production wherever possible”. “50 to 70 percent of Ukrainian soil can be sown today and harvested tomorrow”.
Accordingly, Kyiv called on the Europeans to already prepare storage capacities for the upcoming harvest and to provide the logistical means to bring the harvest out of Ukraine. “If there is no progress, Ukrainian farmers will risk their lives in the fields for grain that will never reach agricultural markets,” Wojciechowski warned.
Aid organizations warn that a failure in Ukrainian food exports could contribute to worsening hunger worldwide. Together with Russia, Ukraine is one of the most important grain suppliers in the world, many developing countries are dependent on it. According to development workers, rising food prices due to the war are causing political instability in many countries and could lead to new refugee movements towards Europe.