07 IMPACT OF THE WAR ON UKRAINIAN AGRICULTURE

The extent of damage to specific agricultural sectors

As of April 2023, the damage to Ukrainian agriculture was estimated at $8.7 billion.

Machinery Storage facilities Livestock

Permanent crops (e.g. orchards, vineyards, hop fields) Stored agricultural products

In addition to the direct losses delineated in the chart above, there are also indirect losses, which in 2023 have been estimated at $31.5 billion. This encompasses reduced production of agricultural commodities, disruptions in their export and sale and increased production costs.

Damage to agricultural land

Approximately one-third of Ukrainian agricultural land currently lies fallow. Some fields are in occupied territories, while others are rendered unusable due to landmines or damage from military equipment. The primary concern revolves around unexploded ordnance, placed by occupying forces across approximately a fifth of Ukrainian territory, predominantly in farmlands. It will take years to clear the fields of mines. Farmland has also been heavily damaged by bombing, and in addition to the removal of both exploded and unexploded ordnance, soil reclamation is needed to restore fertility.

Destruction of agricultural property

The entire agricultural sector has suffered due to shelling and other actions of the Russian forces. Crops in the fields were burned or left unharvested, while barns, machinery, residential buildings and other infrastructure have been bombed. Russians specifically target large-scale storage facilities for grain, oil and other goods. Data from mid-2022 indicate that the aggressors have destroyed or damaged facilities that could have stored 9.4 million tonnes of grain.

Disruption of logistics

Ukraine's agricultural industry faces a fuel shortage because it heavily relies on imports from the Russian Federation and Belarus. This hampers the use of agricultural machinery and the production of fertiliser. Additionally, the war has destroyed transport infrastructure for farms and factories. The lack of fuel further complicates the transportation of seeds, feed or food, severely limiting Ukraine's export capabilities.

Larceny of Ukrainian agricultural property

In the occupied areas of Ukraine, there have been documented cases of agricultural property being stolen or officially confiscated. Ukrainian farmers have been frequent targets of harassment, forced to sell their produce below cost or hand over part of their sales profits. They have also been coerced into growing specific crops or paying fees for each hectare cultivated. Numerous accounts indicate that large quantities of Ukrainian crops and agricultural equipment have been stolen and transported to the Russian Federation.

Labour shortages in agriculture

Agricultural businesses are grappling with significant staff shortages. Many workers have emigrated or been enlisted into the army. Although the Ukrainian government permits farmers to avoid conscription, employers have to rely on retired employees or retrain internally displaced persons to address the workforce shortages.

Member of the state rescue service that clears Ukrainian fields of explosives.

Burning field after a Russian attack in Kharkiv. Fields are often deliberately set on fire by attackers.

A long queue of lorries carrying grain in a blockaded Ukrainian port.

The infrastructure and machinery of the agricultural enterprise "Nibulon" in the Mykolaiv region was damaged or destroyed by Russian shelling.

A warehouse containing sunflower oil caught fire following an Iranian drone strike.

Animals perish either directly due to war or indirectly from starvation. According to data from 2022, 95,000 sheep and goats, 212,000 cattle, 507,000 pigs, and 11.7 million poultry died in the war. The photo depicts a dairy farm in the Kharkiv region that lost 2,000 cows as a result of shelling.