World-wide food crisis imminent

UN predicts famine

Special Correspondent: The global food system is weakened by the Corona epidemic. The main reason for this is the consistently strict restrictions in the country. The war between Russia and Ukraine began when the world was engaged in economic recovery. Which has further intensified the food crisis. In the meantime, the country has seen record inflation. The cost of living has increased.
It is known that Russia has faced strict sanctions from the West since the beginning of the war. On the other hand, Ukraine’s grain exports have stopped. Ukraine and Russia supply about 10 percent of the world’s food. They produce 30 percent of the world’s wheat exports and 70 percent of sunflower oil. At least 26 countries depend on Russia and Ukraine for more than half of their food grains.
Earlier this week, wheat prices rose 53 percent after 2022. It also increased by six per cent after India’s decision to ban wheat exports.
In the fiscal year 2021-2022, which began in July last year, Russia exported 16 percent of the world’s wheat demand. In this case, the contribution of Ukraine was 10 percent. But as the conflict spread, the country was forced to ban the export of two grains. In February, Russia restricted exports of wheat, rye, barley and maize outside the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) until June 30. Ukraine, meanwhile, has closed the only remaining port in Odessa.
Moreover, the situation is exacerbated when a number of major grain suppliers, including Kazakhstan, stop exporting. Countries make such decisions mainly to meet domestic demand.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says war has left 20 to 30 percent of Ukraine’s land uncultivated by 2022.
In such a scenario, the number of people around the world who cannot be sure of adequate food has increased to one hundred and eighty crore. There are about 25 crores on the brink of famine. As well as millions more people could fall into poverty.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that there would be food shortages around the world in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Mykola Solsky, called on the world community to be prepared, saying that the price of a ton of wheat could rise to $800 this year, up 40 percent from the current level. Wheat is now being sold at $430 per tonne.