Around April, the harsh winter comes to an end and the land begins to sprout. Ukrainian farmers are also busy. They wait for the soil to soften as the temperature rises, and then they use tractors to raise the soil. For farmers, the fields are their life. Just by touching the soil, the earth gives us the power to live, and sometimes it also provides us with income,” smiles Mikhail Markov, policy and program advisor at the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Ukraine office.
On the 23rd of this month, the G7 Miyazaki Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting concluded, with discussions on achieving a resilient and sustainable agriculture and food system and increasing productivity, as well as a statement on supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine’s agriculture.
Before the Russian invasion, Ukraine was one of the world’s leading grain-producing countries, also known as the “granary of Europe. It is the world’s largest producer of sunflower oil, and the northeastern Kharkiv Oblast is known as one of the leading sunflower-growing regions in the country.
When the invasion began in February 2022, the province became a fierce battleground. Because of its location on the border with Russia, many residents not only had their homes destroyed, but were also deprived of farm equipment and other tools of daily life. The security situation has deteriorated significantly, and some farmers do not want to go near their land. They have been deprived of hope and everything else. Even if they have land, they have no money to buy seeds. The supply chain no longer functions, and farmers are left with nothing to do.
The sunflower planted area in Halkhiu Oblast was about 573,000 ha, or about 30% of the oblast’s total agricultural land, but was halved by the invasion. According to “RAPID DAMAGE AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT” published by the World Bank in August 2022, the total agricultural damage caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is estimated at approximately US$30.5 billion. Kharkiv Oblast was the third most damaged oblast.
JICA distributed sunflower and corn seeds to farmers in the Halkhiu Oblast this March through the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and FAO. Approximately 31 tons of sunflowers and 64 tons of maize. In terms of planted area, this amounts to about 10,000 ha, equivalent to about 166 million yen. Although these figures are small compared to the area of farmland in the state and the amount of damage, Mr. Markov said, “It had a very big impact on the farmers who lost everything,” he said.
© Source JICA