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Ukrainian farmers are hopeful they can harvest 70% of their traditional crop output this year, according to Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) director general Roman Slaston.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Slaston said 20-30% of the crop has a “question mark over it”, mostly in areas that have been occupied by Russia.
However, as the spring sowing season continues in areas where “there is less fighting”, Slaston described the challenges facing farmers.
It’s not critical but it is a challenge
He said the “most crucial challenge is diesel supply”, as Ukraine is dependent on imports from Russia and Belarus.
He said farmers have 25% of the diesel, 75% of the seed, 80-85% of the fertiliser and 60-65% of the pesticides they need to plant their crops.
“It’s not critical but it is a challenge”, he said.
Grain exports
Slaston wanted the “world to know” that Ukrainian farmers are working to “renew exports” and that in time, they want to “continue to provide food security for the world”.
While there is a total ban or limit on some exports, he said: “Now we are assessing our ability to export [grain] via rail and truck through our western border. We think we can reach 15% of our export, maybe 20%.”
The Ministry is in the process of laying new tracks to ensure grain exports can move across the border
He described how Ukraine has “50m tonnes of corn stored” which needs to be used or exported before the next harvest. While rail and road offer new opportunities for exports as port cities like Odessa remain inaccessible, Slaston said Ukraine’s “rail tracks do not match European standards”.
“The Ministry is in the process of laying new tracks to ensure grain exports can move across the border,” he said.
The farmer said Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry has instructed that tractor work can continue 24 hours a day again, following a night time curfew due to missile fears.
He says this will speed up the planting campaign and while many farmers are still fearful, “they have no choice”.
Ukrainian farmers have been shot as they attempted to gain access to their farms to feed cattle and other livestock, according to Slaston.
The Russians are using farms to hide their tanks and weapons in the farm sheds
The farmer representative said Russian soldiers are “shooting people as they try to feed their animals” in areas of south Ukraine which have been occupied.
“The Russians are using farms to hide their tanks and weapons in the farm sheds,” he said.
He described how Russian troops are “taking animals to eat”, mostly poultry and pigs. The farmer said these soldiers are “trying to feed themselves somehow” as they are “hungry and angry.”
Slaston also described how some dairy farmers in parts of occupied Ukraine which have lost electricity have been unable to milk their cows.
He said some with back-up generators are “managing somehow” but others are facing animal welfare and disease issues and may be forced to cull their herds.
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