Farmers of Odessa region, despite the war started by the Russian Federation, began harvesting early grain. The harvest will be lower than last year: not only because of the drought, but also because of a full-scale war. And the problem is not only how to harvest grain, but also where to store it.
15 million tons of last year’s grain still could not be exported from Ukraine through the ports of the Azov and Black Seas are blocked. And this is not all the challenges facing farmers.
This is stated in the plot TSN.
Now farmers have two enemies – drought, which has reduced this year’s harvest by 30% and Russian shelling. Because of this, the harvest began earlier.
In addition, to have new grain, where to store it is necessary to release warehouses from last year’s grain.
“We have proposed to transfer part of this harvest to shareholders as a calculation of rent to vacate certain warehouses. All that can be repaired, cover the roofs, where the floor so that we can temporarily place our entire harvest,” – says the head of the company Boris Yureskul .
And due to the fact that the occupiers are increasingly covering with rockets and elevators, part of the grain is planned to be distributed in small storage facilities, part to be sold immediately.
“We need working capital, today we need fuel, wages. We have no alternatives, collect and look at the situation, look for exits somewhere to the river, to the shore, where you can load some grain for sale,” adds Boris Yureskul.
But it will not be possible to sell grain quickly – not all last year’s grain has been exported to Ukraine yet. Through blocked ports it is transported by trucks to river ports. Due to this, Odessa roads have been congested for the second month, because more than a thousand trucks have to enter the port to fill one ship. Experts predict that it will be even more difficult.
“There may be some difficulties with the fact that in the countries that help us with exports, they will have their own new crop, which they will also have to partially export. And there will be a certain overlay, if we do not really increase export opportunities, then the question is next season, “says expert Roman Slastyona.
The oversaturation of the Ukrainian grain market has already caused price speculation within the country, according to the relevant department. Purchase prices for grain of the new harvest have artificially fallen by a third, while in the world due to its shortage, on the contrary, are rising.
“We are expanding additional export channels so that farmers can enter other markets of other countries to prevent this speculation. Ukrainian wheat cannot cost two hryvnias when it is ten times more expensive on the world market,” explains Alla Stoyanova, director of agricultural policy. OVA.
Only the Ukrainian army can radically solve the problem of exports by unblocking ports. Western partners can help us in this, because without Ukrainian grain, residents of more than three dozen countries will find themselves on the brink of starvation. It does not threaten Ukrainians themselves.
“We produce five to six times more than we consume. Last year, for example, we produced 107 million tons of grain and consumed no more than 20. This year, even in military conditions, we will produce at least 70 million tons of grain. Therefore, we will be obliged to “with bread”, – adds Alla Stoyanova, director of agricultural policy of OVA.
What will be its price already on store shelves, experts do not yet predict.
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