No-nonsense, no-frills news stories from around the world
One of the world’s largest the National Gene Bank of named after V.Ya. Yuriev National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, located in Kharkiv, was destroyed during the war. The bank kept more than 160 thousand varieties of plant seeds, and hybrids of agricultural crops worldwide, including seeds that no longer exist in Europe and in the world.
Working to safeguard the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable rural families in Ukraine, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has distributed seed potato kits to 17 740 households from across ten of the country’s oblasts so they can plant food in time for the next harvesting season. Some 46 000 people stand to benefit from the campaign.
A third of fish and chip shops in Britain could be at risk of closure due to food shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, industry leaders have warned. The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) has called on the Government to “act now” to prevent “long-term damage” to the popular takeaways, Sky News reports.
Destruction and devastation litter the Ukrainian countryside. Farms have turned into battlegrounds as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stretches into another month, as Clinton Griffiths reports for The Scoop. Landmines and munitions (military weapons, ammunition and equipment) now litter fields. Farmers working those fields are wearing flak jackets and helmets.
February 24, 2022 was a turning point for both Ukraine and the rest of the world, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine has undoubtedly turned the normal world order on its head. In this exclusive article, Fruit-Inform market analyst, Yevhen Kuzin, provides our readers with a bird’s eye view of the current and expected future situation of the potato industry in Ukraine – an industry seriously impacted by Russia’s war against the country.
Potato News Today spoke with Mr. Yurii Dyak from Record-Agro LLC in the Ukraine earlier today. He is the Director of Record-Agro, official representative for Europlant in Ukraine. Mr Dyak informed us of the many challenges his company and its potato farming customers are facing at this time in Ukraine, including the bombing of one of his seed potato warehouses, and looting of farmers’ equipment and fuel by Russian soldiers.
Ukrainian farmers are wearing helmets and bulletproof vests to sow spring crops as their country’s war with Russia rages nearby. Fields have to be checked for Russian mines and other explosives prior to drilling. The authorities are clearing between 2,000 and 6,000 explosive objects each day.
Nick Gordiichuk is a Ukrainian farmer and Managing director of Agrico Ukraine. He talked with Dustin Hoffmann of Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network on March 24 about the situation that farmers in Ukraine are facing due to the Russian invasion. Nick said: “Farmers in Ukraine don’t only have to be farmers now, they also have to be soldiers…” He talked about their efforts to keep feeding their citizens during the crisis. His land was overrun with Russian soldiers and tanks at the time of the interview.
Rabobank’s RaboResearch – Food & Agribusiness team released this research report recently. They say that higher fertilizer prices and/or a shortage of fertilizer supply resulting from the war in Ukraine will not have an immediate impact on food prices and/or food production. The first crop-growing regions to be ‘at risk’ are India and Latin America. India is partially out of danger, but Latin America is highly exposed.
Spring sowing has begun across western Ukraine but with raging war in the country, the prospects of completing it successfully look bleak for many Ukrainian farmers. Ukrainian farmer Terras Mansiok owns a family farm near Lviv. In an interview with Reuters, he described the difficulties he and other farmers in Ukraine are dealing with now.
A Cambridgeshire farming family is helping to send 25 lorry loads of food, warm clothing and medical supplies to Ukrainian refugees. As Ed Henderson reports for Farmers Weekly, Craig Taylor and his cousin Ross Taylor, who farm in the Fens at Pymoor, have joined forces with local organisations and businesses to create Ukraine Lifeline.
Following the Russian invasion in Ukraine, potato markets have been somewhat hesitant during the last weeks, according to the North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) association. Some areas originally earmarked for potatoes will most likely be planted with spring cereals, maize and/or sunflower. Most everyone in the potato chain face higher production costs.
A deal to export 2,000t of Scottish seed potatoes to Russia has been scrapped by PepsiCo following criticism of the arrangement. As Ed Henderson reports for Farmers Weekly, the company said “a couple of lorries” had already left Scottish farms this week, but following discussion with growers, the decision had been made to stop future shipments.
Seed potato exporters have been told “very clearly” they should disinvest from Russia, a minister has said, following reports that 2000 tonnes of Scottish produce will be sent there. As Emer O’Toole reports for The National, Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, said “We’ve led calls for businesses to disinvest from Russia as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.”
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, potato markets have been somewhat resistant with uncertainty expected for the coming recent weeks, North-Western European Potato Growers (NEPG) says in a news release earlier today. “Producers need to realize that, despite this very significant crisis, our European countries (and others around the world) will continue to need potatoes and potato products in the future,” NEPG says.
The Scottish government sparked fury after it approved a deal by PepsiCo to send seed potatoes to be planted Russia. In a £600,000 deal with Aberdeen’s Saltire Seed, 2,000 tons of seed potatoes will be delivered to Russian farmers by a convoy of 100 lorries.
Linwood Crops Limited, the UK based specialist fresh potato business, are doing their bit to help the people of Ukraine. In a news release, the company says that for every product ordered in March 2022 from its Chef’s Taste and MUST Have product range, it will donate to help secure urgent medical kits and supplies for those Ukrainians wounded in this horrific conflict.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) notes in its weekly report that the dire situation unfolding in Ukraine is putting extreme pressure on the agri industry and decisions to be made regarding 2022 crops. Fertiliser and diesel have reached record high costs in the past week casting great uncertainty for the sector.
One of Britain’s biggest potato farmers has closed a Russian honorary consulate in Norwich as war rages following the invasion of Ukraine. As Simon Parkin reports for Eastern Daily Press, potato king Ronnie Bartlett, who runs fruit and veg firm Albert Bartlett, has also stood down as Russian honorary consul with responsibility for Norfolk, a position he had held since January 2020.
