25 Million Tons of Grains Blocked From Export From Ukraine: UN Food Agency

25 Million Tons of Grains Blocked From Export From Ukraine: UN Food Agency
A Palestinian worker holds wheat grains at traditional a wheat mill, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 21, 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine could mean less bread on the table for many countries where millions are already struggling to survive. Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images
Katabella Roberts
Updated:

A huge backlog of grain shipments totaling nearly 25 million tons is stranded in Ukraine, unable to be transported out of the country owing to “infrastructure challenges” and blocked ports in the Black Sea, according to a U.N. food agency official.

The blocked shipment of grains could be further exacerbating high food prices across the globe, which rose at their fastest pace on record in March, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), rising 13 percent over the month to 159.3 points, an all-time high.

Prior to Russian forces invading Ukraine in February, the country was one of the world’s top producers of agricultural commodities, specializing in staple products such as wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, and sunflower oil.

Along with rising prices, U.S. officials have repeatedly warned of food shortages prompted by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the latest backlog will no doubt add to that growing concern.

“It’s an almost grotesque situation we see at the moment in Ukraine, with nearly 25 million tons of grain that could be exported but that cannot leave the country simply because of lack of infrastructure, the blockade of the ports,” Josef Schmidhuber, FAO deputy director, markets and trade division, told a Geneva press briefing on May 6.

Schmidhuber said the grain blockages could result in storage shortages during the next harvest in July and August, particularly if Black Sea ports remain blocked by Russian forces.

Since Moscow forces invaded, Ukraine has had to export grain by train over its western border or from its small Danube river ports instead of by sea. However, reports indicate that wagons containing grains have faced multiple red tape issues and logistical challenges along with labor and rail car shortages.

“Despite the war, the harvest conditions don’t look that dire. That could really mean there’s not enough storage capacity in Ukraine, particularly if there’s no wheat corridor opening up for export from Ukraine,” Schmidhuber said.

He noted further concerns regarding reports that some grain storage in Ukraine had been destroyed amid the ongoing conflict.

While he didn’t elaborate on the reports, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on May 5 that an estimated 400,000 tons of grain had been stolen to date. The Epoch Times hasn’t been able to verify the claim.
Schmidhuber’s comment came shortly after data from S&P Global showed that food supply shortages hit a record high in April.
According to the survey, the Global Supply Shortages Index signaled that shortages were just under seven times higher than the normal level last month, unchanged from March’s four-month high. Freight capacity remained the most impacted, S&P Global said.
Meanwhile, the United Nations in April said 45 million people worldwide suffered from malnourishment, and a further 8 million to 20 million more were at risk of famine because of the knock-on effects of the war.
Katabella Roberts
Katabella Roberts
Author
Katabella Roberts is a news writer for The Epoch Times, focusing primarily on the United States, world, and business news.
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