Mike Lee publishes the Black Sea Crop Forecasts, which include independent analysis and agribusiness news from Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Romania, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. His latest issue reports on the demining of Ukrainian farmland and other FAO programs.
The Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Program (WFP), and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine are helping farmers in Mykolaiv Oblast to clear their agricultural land of mines and unexploded ordnance resulting from military operations.
Ukraine’s farmland has been significantly impacted, with about 174,000 square kilometres, or 30 per cent of the country’s territory, estimated to be contaminated. This makes Ukraine one of the most mine-affected regions globally, although these figures might be slightly high.
“The reality remains that a substantial portion of land is potentially dangerous and unusable once confirmed safe by demining operations,” reports Lee.
Land mines are not only a matter of land availability but also pose a significant risk to the safety and livelihoods of farming communities. The World Bank’s estimate of $37 billion to demine Ukraine underscores the scale and financial challenge of the task ahead. The demining program represents a crucial step towards restoring agricultural productivity and ensuring the safety of the land for farmers and the broader community.
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), in collaboration with Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy, has launched a new initiative to support Ukrainian farmers by providing them with soybean and sunflower seeds for the upcoming spring sowing campaign. This program targets small and medium-sized farms, particularly those in front-line regions, with land holdings ranging from 10 to 500 hectares.
The FAO is targeting the assistance of more than 3,000 farmers across various regions in Ukraine, including Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhia. This initiative is significant as it seeks to bolster agricultural production in areas heavily affected by conflict, ensuring that farmers can continue their operations and contribute to the region’s food supply and economic stability.
The European Union has reached a provisional agreement to provide Ukrainian food producers with tariff-free market access until June 2025, introducing new limits on grain imports. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has expressed approval of the deal. However, these concerns have occurred in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, where local farmers have protested, claiming that Ukrainian farm imports have disrupted their markets. Despite these protests, Ukraine contends that its agricultural exports are not harming EU markets, noting that approximately 95 per cent currently pass through the Black Sea. This provisional agreement awaits formal approval from the European Parliament and EU governments.
In related developments, Ukraine has enacted legislation allowing bio-methane export to EU countries, marking a significant step towards energy independence for Ukraine and the EU. Ukraine has 77 bio-gas plants capable of producing 150 million cubic meters of bio-methane annually. By 2030, the country aims to produce one billion cubic meters of bio-methane, potentially accounting for 10-20 per cent of the EU’s market. This move signifies Ukraine’s growing role in the European energy sector and its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
In Ukraine, spring crop planting is progressing. Twenty oblasts are actively sowing, covering 214,500 hectares, or 3.8 per cent, of the planned area for grain and leguminous crops. This includes 29,000 hectares of wheat, 11.8 per cent of the planned area, and 117,300 hectares of barley. Additionally, in the Kyiv region, sunflower seeds have started sowing early.
In Belarus, the sowing season started with enthusiasm, as 34,700 hectares of early spring grain and leguminous crops have got planted, amounting to about six per cent of their target. The fertilization process is well underway, too, with 57 per cent (875,300 hectares) of winter grains and 48 per cent (207,800 hectares) of what is likely winter oilseed rape (referred to as “cruciferous crops for grain”) having received fertilization. This activity signifies the beginning of the agricultural season in these regions, with farmers actively planting and fertilizing to ensure a successful growing season. •
— By Harry Siemens