Agenzie

Markian Dmytrasevych, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, called, on Tuesday 25 October, for continued EU assistance to ensure that grain exports continue under good conditions, despite the war in the country triggered by Russia.
Mr Dmytrasevych had a remote exchange of views with the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture.
Seeds. The deputy minister said that 20% of agricultural areas are covered by mines or are in the middle of battlefields. He noted a 20% drop in seeds compared to last year. “We must remain optimistic. Seven million hectares are expected to be sown, compared to nine million last year”. Markian Dmytrasevych noted a 20-40% decrease in seeds on arable land.

Grain exports. The Ukrainian official said that in September, 6.9 million tonnes of agricultural products were exported.

He called for an extension of the Istanbul agreement, which expires in November, allowing Ukrainian grain blocked in Black Sea ports to be exported. Ukraine and the world need this initiative. 

150 ships are blocked, the deputy minister insisted, in relation to the Istanbul agreement, because of Russian inspections. The extension of this agreement must be requested by the EU, he insisted.

Moreover, the capacity of the solidarity lanes with the EU, which amounts to three million tonnes per month, has reached its limits, he said. 

Among the aid requested from the EU, he cited: - heavy trucks to transport the cereals; - construction of terminals to load vehicles with cereals (one exists in Romania); - construction of a pipeline to transport sunflower oil; - provision of diesel generators for farms to harvest grain; - equipment to carry out the seeds for next year; - aid for railway wagons.

Markian Dmytrasevych expects a significant drop in the next grain harvest: 66 million tonnes of cereals and oilseeds, compared to 108 million the year before.

In addition, a public hearing took place in the European Parliament on the effects of the war in Ukraine on EU food security. The European Commission recalled that it will adopt a communication on fertilisers on 9 November. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)