The administration of US President Joe Biden will invest $100 million in a new program to provide Ukrainian farmers with vital goods.
CNN writes about it.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is already working with more than 8 000 Ukrainian farmers, who are receiving the resources they need to increase yields. The new initiative will help agricultural producers preserve future harvests and mitigate the global food security crisis, which has been exacerbated by Russiaʼs war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian farmers who, despite the war, have preserved their crops, have been unable to obtain the necessary machinery, fertilizers, seeds and storage containers that normally come through Black Sea ports, due to the ongoing Russian blockade. Due to the full-scale invasion of Russia, Ukraine was also unable to export its agricultural products.
The American initiative is designed to expand Ukrainian farmersʼ access to financing and essential agricultural resources, including seeds, fertilizers, equipment, and pesticides, strengthen Ukrainian infrastructure and logistics, and provide additional opportunities for drying, temporary storage, and processing of agricultural products.
"USAID will work to tailor storage to individual needs, working with farmer associations to get the right solutions in the right places," informed a spokesperson for the USAID.
USAID also wants to raise an additional $150 million from donors and the private sector to increase the fund.
- Since the beginning of the invasion, Russian troops have been blocking exports from Ukrainian ports, as a result of which products have to be exported by rail and road. Western partners plan to build granaries near the border, negotiate with Russia, but are not ready for military unblocking of roads. Meanwhile, Russia continues to steal Ukrainian grain, taking it to Crimea, Syria and Turkey.
- On July 11, Turkish President Recep Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Putin. He declared that the time had come for a "grain corridor". The Russian Federation stated that they would "continue the exchange of views" on this issue. On the same day, July 11, Erdogan spoke with Zelensky. The conversation was devoted to the war and the problem of the grain export blockade.
- On July 13, quadrilateral negotiations were held in Turkey regarding the safe export of Ukrainian grain from ports. During this meeting , the parties agreed to create a coordination center in Istanbul.