The war in Ukraine and its economic consequences have caused significant damage to the production and income of small farmers, which exceeded USD3.85 billion, according to a report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published Monday.
“The data from this assessment will help FAO, the Ukrainian government and its partners to identify the urgent needs and geographic areas for investment and support to smallholder farmers, so that they can meet the challenges of the current situation and resume their activities quickly,” said Pierre Vauthier, Head of FAO’s office in Ukraine.
In a nationwide survey 1927 smallholders, who specialize in crop and livestock production, have a land area of up to 250 hectares and are located in 23 regions, including parts of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions under the control of Ukraine, participated in the FAO survey.
Among the key factors that led to the suspension and/or reduction of farms, the FAO cited temporary cessation of activities, loss of control over farmland, death of owners and land sales caused by or related to the escalation of war.
According to the survey, the number of small producers in Ukraine has decreased by almost 80%, of which 1% are livestock producers who stopped producing small amounts of crops, and almost 7% are crop producers who stopped their production completely.
The FAO estimated the total amount of losses and losses for smallholders at USD 3.85 billion in the crop and livestock sectors.
According to the FAO, about 12% of small farms reported that some of their land was potentially contaminated by unexploded ordnance. Frontline areas were most affected, with 32% of respondents confirming this information.
Almost 90% of small crop producers reported a decrease in income, with more than 70% of them recording significant and 25% sharp declines. Small livestock producers were less affected, but more than 60% of them reported a decrease in income, with 46% citing it as significant or drastic.
According to the survey, small farmers have increased their debts compared to the same period before the war, from 6% in 2021 to 9% in 2022.
The FAO noted increased problems due to disruptions in agri-food value chains. On average, 9% of respondents reported that resellers had stopped their operations or were unable to procure more produce.
Most producers surveyed cited difficulty accessing agricultural inputs due to high prices, lack of workers, lack of fuel or electricity to power farm machinery, or even lack of access to electricity. In addition, there is a collapse of markets for agricultural resources (fertilizers and seeds), particularly in frontline areas.
According to the FAO, the greatest needs reported by respondents for continued production are provision of fertilizer, fuel and seeds, access to feed or forage, restocking of livestock and access to markets.
The FAO used an adapted methodology for assessing agricultural losses and damages. The survey was assisted by the Kyiv School of Economics, the All-Ukrainian Association of Rural, Village Councils and United Communities, the East Ukraine Agricultural Advisory Service for the survey in Donetsk Oblast, and the Office of Prospective Development for the survey in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Oil prices are rising Monday morning amid optimism about an increase in the U.S. national debt ceiling.
July Brent futures on London’s ICE Futures exchange stood at $77.53 a barrel by 8:14 a.m., up $0.58 (0.75%) from the previous session’s close. Last Friday those contracts rose $0.69 (0.9%) to $76.95 a barrel.
July WTI futures traded on NYMEX rose by $0.65, to $73.32 per barrel. The contract value grew by $0.84 (1.2%) to $72.68 per barrel at the end of previous session.
Brent contract grew 1.8% and WTI gained 1.4% at the end of the previous week.
Over the weekend, US President Joe Biden said he had reached a budget agreement with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. According to him, this prevents “the worst possible crisis,” that is, the possibility of a default on U.S. government debt.
Negotiators are finalizing the text of the bill, which will then go to the House and Senate.
It is expected that trading volume on Monday may be lower than usual due to the fact that the USA and UK stock exchanges are closed in connection with the public holidays.
Meanwhile, the number of active oil rigs in the United States fell by five last week to 570, oilfield services company Baker Hughes said. That’s the lowest since March 2022.
Canada will deliver nearly five thousand assault rifles and ammunition to Ukraine in the coming weeks, according to the Canadian Ministry of Defence.
“The delivery of the small arms and ammunition aid package announced in April is on schedule. Machine guns, assault rifles, cleaning kits and magazines have already been delivered to Ukraine, and one million rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition and 4,800 assault rifles should arrive in the coming weeks,” the report said.
According to the Canadian Ministry of Defence, all 21,000 small arms and 2.4 million rounds of ammunition planned for delivery are expected to be in Ukraine by summer.
“Canada’s support for Ukraine is unwavering. When I travel across Canada, I see Ukrainian flags on homes, small businesses and cars – because Canadians understand that Ukraine’s fight for self-defence is also a fight for sovereignty, freedom and independence,” said Canadian National Defence Minister Anita Anand, quoted by the ministry’s press office
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that he had won the presidential election.
“Our nation has made a choice and once again empowered us to lead the country for another five years,” Erdogan said, addressing his supporters at a rally.
He thanked all Turkish citizens who voted for him.
The presidential election in Turkey is already being called the main election of 2023 in the world. The pre-election economic and political situation in Turkey was analyzed by the Club of Experts research center, watch the video with the Club’s experts here:
The presidential election in Turkey is already being called the main election of 2023 in the world. The pre-election economic and political situation in Turkey was analyzed by the research center of the Club of Experts, watch the video with the Club’s experts here:
On May 28, the second round of presidential elections is taking place in Turkey. After the first round, none of the candidates received more than 50% of the votes, which would guarantee victory and election as president of this country. The incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the united opposition are fighting for this post.
Polling stations started working at 8:00 local time and will be open until 17:00. There are 191,885 ballot boxes in 973 constituencies and 1,094 district election commissions across the country. In total, more than 60 million citizens of the country are expected to take part.
Abroad, 3.5 million Turkish citizens registered there could cast their votes for the new president. Election commissions worked in 73 countries, and voting in foreign representations ended on May 24. The ballot boxes from abroad were delivered to Ankara by air and diplomatic mail. They will be opened together with other ballot boxes after voting is over.
Turkey’s presidential election has already been called the world’s most important election of 2023. The analysis of the pre-election economic and political situation in Turkey was carried out by the Club of Experts Research Center, see the video of the Club’s experts at the link:
The two presidential candidates in Turkey visited polling stations almost simultaneously and voted in the second round of presidential elections.
According to the Turkish press, President Recep Erdoğan voted at a polling station in the Asian part of Istanbul, while his opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu voted in Ankara.
Polling stations opened in Turkey at 08:00 am local time (the same time as Kiev), they will close at 17:00, after which the ban on the publication of voting data will be lifted.
Earlier, the “Club of Experts” analyzed the prospects of candidates in the second round of elections. You can view the video here:
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