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On Friday, the UN food agency warned about the potential food crisis that poorer countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East could further face.
The United Nations food agency revealed the potential food crisis that the Russian-Ukrainian military confrontation could leave in poorer countries of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, which depend on those countries' wheat exports.
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As both countries in conflict represent a third of the global grain exports, Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said that with the unknown duration and escalation of the conflict, "the likely disruptions to agricultural activities of these two major exporters of staple commodities could seriously escalate food insecurity globally, when international food and input prices are already high and vulnerable."
The Food Agency of the UN also appointed that a critical fertilizer component produced by Russia has tripled its price in the last 12 months. It is unclear if Ukrainian farmers will be ready to harvest wheat in June, "massive population displacement has reduced the number of agricultural laborers and workers. Accessing agricultural fields would be difficult," noted Qu in a statement.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian government has prohibited the export of wheat, oats, millet, buckwheat, and some other food products to prevent a crisis in its own country and stabilize the market and its port on the Black Sea are shut down. Russia and Ukraine alone represent a high percentage of global export in the world's sunflower oil export market, 19 percent of the world's barley supply, 14 percent of wheat, and 4 percent of corn.
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"It is still unclear whether (other) exporters would be able to fill this gap," stated FAO's director-general, warning about the decrease of wheat inventories in Canada. alongsideWithother nations' wheat producers, U.S. and Argentina are limiting exports as they need to ensure domestic supply.
"Supply chain and logistical disruptions on Ukrainian and Russian grain and oilseed production and restrictions on Russia's exports will have significant food security repercussions," noted Qu.
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