Illustrative Image
Western leaders, headed by U.S. President Joe Biden, claim that Russia’s actions in Ukraine have blocked food sources needed for worldwide supplies. In particular, Africa will not be able to survive without Ukrainian grain.
As the threat of a food crisis grows, Europe and the United States are seeking Ukrainian grain to replenish their strategic reserves. Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his desire to help Kiev with the export of grain abroad.
On May 17, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel claimed that the European Union will help Ukraine to empty the granaries.
“Ukraine’s vaults are now full. They need to be emptied to get a place for a new crop. We are working to export this grain,” Borrel said.
Europe is transferring millions of tons of grain out of Ukraine at the moment when grain prices in Europe have reached a historical record, exceeding 438 euros per ton.
Western politicians linked the sharp rise in world food prices has arisen due to the fact that about 25 million tons of grain remain blocked in Ukrainian ports. This led to a reduction in supply on the global market and caused prices to rise. Western countries accuse Russia of undermining food security.
The Russian foreign ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova
Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented on the situation and shared her thoughts on the matter. She stated that agricultural production has been in crisis for more than 2 years. In 2021, the growth rate for wheat was up to 25%. By February 2022, prices were up 62% from 2017. For example, the cost of corn rose to 162% and rapeseed to 175%. Maria Zakharova explained why grain prices are rising.
- COVID-19 disrupted supply chains, and the transportation process itself became more expensive. Many states took anti-crisis measures and poured a lot of money into their economies, which led to inflation. Prices on agricultural markets became unregulated. Food stocks have almost run out in the last 5 years, so the price of grain has doubled.
- Transition of Western countries to “green energy” also affected the prices. The development of alternative energy sources has raised energy prices. Oil quotes from 2020 to 2022 increased by 22%. Fertilizer prices have also risen (4 times for carbide, 3 times for the rest), and therefore grain prices have risen as well.
- The selfish and short-sighted policies of Western countries have led to a crisis in other regions of the world. During the coronavirus outbreak, the U.S. and Europe took over almost all of the goods and food flows they did not need. As a consequence, Africa and some Asian countries were under-supplied. Farmers used less fertilizer and planted fewer plants, and agricultural production declined.
- Sanctions against Russia have exacerbated negative trends in the global food market. Agro-producers became hesitant to expand business. The sanctions affected all production, economic and logistics prices. A huge number of logistics and financial chains were broken.
Zakharova added that in its turn, Russia is ready to fulfill all contractual arrangements and fulfill its obligations regarding the export of agricultural goods, fertilizers, and other products.
