Invaders take out all old harvest grain from Melitopol silos - mayor

24.06.2022 19:00

Every day, the Russian military drives dozens of grain trucks out of captured Melitopol. The invaders are only willing to buy grains from local farmers at a dumped price of $80 per tonne, which is below cost price.

This was announced by Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, who spoke at a briefing at the Ukraine-Ukrinform Media Center.

“As for the latest crops, the rucists announce the following harvesting criteria: they either take 50% or 70% of the crops. They also announce the price at which they are willing to buy – less than $80 per tonne. This is less than the actual cost price. Meanwhile, only one person was authorized by the occupiers to run such negotiations and buy out the crops,” Fedorov said.

Read also: US officials release images showing damage to Ukrainian grain silos caused by Russian attacks

He added that the invaders had already removed the old harvest grain from all local silos. According to the officials, every day, 30 to 50 trucks take the crops out of the city and Melitopol district, which amounts to nearly 1,000 tons.

It was reported that Melitopol farmers have no opportunity to export vegetables and fruits they have grown as the invaders do not allow taking the crops out of the occupied territory to the government-controlled areas.

 https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/3514463-invaders-take-out-all-old-harvest-grain-from-melitopol-silos-mayor.html

Ukraine needs to export 18M tonnes of last year's crops – agriculture minister

24.06.2022 22:20

Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, must constantly develop ways to export its products, which could be an alternative to the sea route.

Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said this at a meeting with his German counterpart Cem Özdemir, Ukrinform reports, referring to the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry.

"The Russians are imitating the situation, showing how they care about food security and advocate for the prevention of hunger. But their actions are completely opposite to their words. An example of this is the destruction of ports. And this means only one thing: Ukraine, with the support of the EU, must continue to develop alternative routes for the export of its products - on a permanent basis, preventing the fall in exports," Solsky said.

He said that Ukraine needs to export 18 million tonnes of last year's crops. Ukraine is expected to harvest 60 million tonnes of grain this year and, taking into account domestic consumption at 20 million tonnes, it will be necessary to export 58 million tonnes of crops.

"In September-October, we will see a significant decline in the area under winter crops in Ukraine. But now we have time to prepare and make the next season more working," Solsky stressed.

He also noted that in a month, European grain would be transported through European ports and railways and this will create an additional burden on logistics. Therefore, Solsky initiated a meeting with the ministers of agriculture and infrastructure of the EU and major operators in order to determine the operators who will expand the base of European grain trucks.

Ukraine earlier organized two grain export route -- via Romania and Poland --- and is negotiating a third one with the Baltic states. In May 2022, Ukraine exported more than 1.753 million tonnes of grain, oilseeds and processed products using all modes of transport, which is 180% of the April volume.

On February 24 this year, Russia launched an unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine and continued the war it started against Ukraine back in 2014. Due to hostilities, more than 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain remain stuck in Ukrainian ports, much of which was intended for the UN World Food Program.

https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/3514574-ukraine-needs-to-export-18m-tonnes-of-last-years-crops-agriculture-minister.html