It is not just wheat that is triggering the food crisis which, starting with Ukraine, is hitting dozens of developing countries, from Africa to the Middle East, with a dramatic domino effect. Between finished products in the hands of the Russians, crops threatened by bombs and factories blocked by the conflict, the list of goods at risk continues to grow.
Among those stuck or looted in the ‘granary of Europe’ there are also other cereals, from maize to sorghum. For example, seed oil, especially sunflower oil, of which the country is one of the main producers, is suffering sharp increases in the West. But the war inevitably hit crops and industries in several strategic regions.
The ‘capital of cherries’, Melitopol, one of the first centers occupied at the beginning of the invasion, also came under the control of Moscow. The blockade of the main Ukrainian production area has caused hikes of up to 40% in fruit prices in the markets from Kiev to Lviv. To cover the deficit, more than half of the cherries sold are now imported, while distribution continues from the areas of Bukovyna, Vinnytsia, Odessa and Zakarpattia. Furthermore, the consequences of the conflict are destined to weigh on future crops.
There is also a possible “salt crisis” on the horizon, after Artemsil, one of the largest producers in Europe, was closed in April in the Donetsk region following the clashes. In addition to the halt to production, the administrative structures and mines of the company that controls it are also damaged. To compensate for the blockade, other producers are trying to speed up activities, such as the Drohobych salt flats, in the western Lviv oblast, but at this rate an increase in imports will be inevitable for Ukraine.
Source: Ansa
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