Ukraine's farmers despair as Russia's Black Sea blockade traps their harvest
UKRAINIAN farmer Serhiy Rybalko lost two-thirds of his land when Russia occupied a large part of southern Ukraine at the start of the invasion in 2022.
Ukrainian farmers are facing an unprecedented crisis as Russia's blockade of the Black Sea prevents their crops from reaching markets. Serhiy Rybalko, a farmer who lost two-thirds of his land during the 2022 invasion, is now worried that his harvested grain will be trapped in Ukraine with no way to sell it. The blockade has halted agricultural exports, which account for nearly 60% of Ukraine's export revenue, putting immense pressure on its already fragile wartime economy.
Ukraine produces around six percent of the world's wheat and 11 percent of its corn, but without access to Black Sea ports, farmers cannot export their harvest. The peak of Ukraine's wheat harvesting season is currently underway, leaving no room for the corn harvest to begin next month. Rybalko's grain storage is nearly full, and farmers say there is nowhere to send this grain.
The blockade has left finances grinding to a halt, with no exports and revenue streams drying up. As food prices rise globally, Ukraine's farmers face mounting losses and the threat of bankruptcy.
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