(RepublicanInformer.com)- According to a U.N. food agency official, a massive backlog of grain exports of roughly 25 million tons is stalled in Ukraine and unable to be transferred out of the country due to infrastructure issues and closed Black Sea ports.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), global food prices grew at their quickest rate in March, climbing 13 percent over the month to 159.3 points, an all-time high.
Ukraine was one of the world’s top producers of agricultural goods until Russian forces invaded in February, specializing in staples including wheat, maize, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, and sunflower oil.
With increased costs, US authorities have warned of food shortages resulting from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the current delay will not likely add to that anxiety.
Josef Schmidhuber, FAO deputy director, said that it’s an almost grotesque situation we’re seeing right now in Ukraine, with nearly 25 million tons of grain that could be exported but can’t because of a lack of infrastructure, a blockade of the ports.
According to Schmidhuber, grain blockades might cause storage shortages for the next harvest in July and August, especially if Russian forces blockade Black Sea ports.
Since Russian soldiers entered, Ukraine has been forced to transport grain by train over its western border or from minor Danube river ports. However, it has been claimed that grain carts have encountered several red tapes and logistical obstacles and train car shortages.
Schmidhuber said that harvest conditions appear to be in good shape despite the fighting. That might indicate a lack of storage capacity in Ukraine, especially if no wheat route opens up for export from the country.
Furthermore, the FAO deputy director expressed worry about reports that some grain storage in Ukraine has been destroyed due to the ongoing violence.
Schmidhuber’s remark comes after S&P Global statistics revealed that food supply shortfalls reached a new high in April.
The Global Supply Shortages Index, according to the poll, indicated that shortages were slightly under seven times greater than usual last month, unchanged from March’s four-month high. According to S&P Global, freight capacity was the most affected.
Meanwhile, the United Nations said in April that 45 million people globally are malnourished, with another 8–20 million facing famine due to the war.
Reports from DC are that Pelosi’s custom freezer is still well stocked with ice cream, so, no need to panic just yet.
