Ukraine Calls on FAO to Hold Extraordinary Session to Assess Impact of Black Sea Blockade

This position was presented by First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Denys Bashlyk during an online meeting with ambassadors of member states to FAO, the United Nations World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

According to him, an extraordinary FAO session would make it possible to assess, on the basis of verified data, the impact of disruptions to exports through the Black Sea on food availability and international supply chains.

He noted that russian attacks on Black Sea ports are putting at risk the export of more than 30 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural products this season. Producers could lose more than $10 billion in revenue, making it more difficult for them to prepare for the spring sowing campaign.

According to Denys Bashlyk, export difficulties are already affecting purchase prices, storage capacity utilisation and farmers’ access to working capital. If the situation does not change, farms will find it more difficult to finance the next production cycle.

«What concerns us is what comes next: if export restrictions remain in place, the current problems could lead to a reduction in sown areas and production in 2027, and subsequently in 2028. Production needs to be preserved now, before the consequences become more difficult and more costly to overcome,» Denys Bashlyk emphasised.

He also noted that as of the beginning of September, Ukraine had raised $35 million from donors to create temporary grain storage capacity.