Wheat production in Ukraine could fall by 40% for the 2022-23 season and exports by 50% due to the war with Russia, the Ukrainian Cereals Association announced on Wednesday.
The association, which brings together cereal producers and exporters, said it expected a harvest of 19.2 million tonnes of wheat for this season, “far below the record” of the 2021-2022 campaign, when they collected 33 million tonnes.
“Despite the occupation of territories and minefields, Ukraine will be supplied with grain and will be able to export part of the harvest,” the association said in a statement.
At 19 million tonnes, production remains three times the annual wheat consumption in Ukraine. This production is also added to the reserves of the previous harvest, of 10 million tons, according to the same source.
Exports could reach around 10 million tonnes of wheat for the 2022-2023 season, according to the association.
During the 2021-2022 season, Ukraine exported 20 million tonnes, according to the US Ministry of Agriculture.
As for corn, the harvest for the 2022/23 season is expected to reach 26.1 million, 30% less than last year, with around 15 million tonnes for export, according to the Ukrainian association.
According to the ministry, Ukraine exported 27.5 million tonnes of maize in 2021/22.
Russia and Ukraine together account for 30% of world wheat exports. But the conflict has caused grain and oil prices to rise.
UN chief calls for action to ease ‘food crisis’
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Wednesday for swift and decisive action to ensure a “constant flow of food” due to the consequences of the war on world markets.
In a speech in Stockholm, Guterres declared that “the war must end now”, condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine as “a violation of its territorial integrity and the UN Charter”.
“It is causing immense suffering, destruction and devastation to the country, but it also ignites a three-dimensional global crisis in terms of food, energy and finance that is hitting the most vulnerable people, countries and economies,” said the Portuguese diplomat, at a press conference press.
Guterres stressed the need to take “rapid and decisive action to ensure a constant flow of food and energy”, including “the lifting of export restrictions, the allocation of surpluses and reserves to vulnerable populations and addressing the increase in food prices”.
Russia and Ukraine produce about 30% of the world’s wheat supply.
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
