First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotsky told CNN that the next harvest in Ukraine may be reduced by 40%.
"We expect that the harvest will be about 35% lower than in previous years, ie about 30 million tons less, 35-40% less, almost half of last yearʼs harvest," he said.
Vysotsky explained that Ukraine had lost 25% of arable land (occupied). Another 500,000 tons of grain were stolen by the invaders.
Denys Marchuk, deputy chairman of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, said earlier that the Russians had stolen 600,000 tons of agricultural products.
- On June 8, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that due to the war and occupation, Ukraine had planted 25% less land than last year.
- As Russia blocks Ukrainian ports, 23.5 million tons of grain and oilseeds remain in Ukraine. Ukraine has already started supplying grain to the world market by truck, rail, and river.
- On June 8, talks took place between Turkish and Russian Foreign Ministers Mevlut Cavusoglu and Serhiy Lavrov. They spoke, in particular, about the war in Ukraine and the unblocking of Ukrainian ports. Currently, Russia is demanding the demining of Ukrainian ports, and Ankara considers a realistic plan to create a "grain corridor." There were no representatives of Ukraine at these talks.
- The issue of the humanitarian corridor for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products is also being discussed at the UN and Ukraineʼs western partners.