Mines in Ukraine’s Fields: How Do They Affect Ukrainian Agriculture and Exports?

Have Ukraine’s agro-exports target countries changed, as Russian propaganda claims?

We asked Taras Vysotskyi, the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, to find out.

• According to preliminary assessments, out of 25000 km² of farming lands in the already de-occupied territories (parts of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts) 4710 km² need to be examined for further demining.
• Up to 10% of this area had already undergone examination by the end of the spring sowing period, with the remainder scheduled  for completion by autumn, thus the start of the winter sowing period.
• The use of farming lands close to the frontline is complicated by access restrictions within the 10 km strip, the possible presence of military facilities, and remaining minefields. Hence, farming on such areas is done on an ad hoc basis in coordination with the military.
• 2-3% of farming areas in the government-controlled territories cannot be used, which converts into the loss of around 1% of Ukraine's GDP compared to 2022. Compared to 2021, Ukraine has lost around 5-7% of its GDP due to occupation/inaccessibility of 20% of farming areas.
• Russia manipulates claiming that Ukrainian grain goes to rich countries, leaving developing countries undersupplied, because even if it were the case, the void in the international market would be filled with grain from other suppliers such as Brazil.
• Also, due to logistical challenges & instability of the Grain Corridor's operation, Ukrainian grain may reach Africa or Asia via non-standard methods. For instance, Ukrainian exporters may set up companies in the EU as the EU has become a hub.
• As a result, while documents state that Ukrainian grain is being shipped to the EU, it is actually, de-facto, shipped farther through European ports (Baltic states, the Netherlands, Türkiye). The first destination point does not necessarily mean that grain is consumed in Europe.
• The bottom line is that while logistical chains have changed, Ukraine's role in supplying grain to target countries has remained largely unchanged.

MAKSYM PANCHENKO, ANALYST AND JOURNALIST AT UKRAINEWORLD

Taras Vysotskyi, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine