Russia's Black Sea Blockade Threatens Ukrainian Harvest

Ukrainian farmer Serhiy Rybalko is struggling to cope with the consequences of Russia's Black Sea blockade, which has halted agricultural exports from Ukraine's ports.

Rybalko lost two-thirds of his land when Russia occupied southern Ukraine in 2022 and is now facing a different kind of torment as his potentially good harvest is threatened by the Russian attacks.

Ukraine is one of the world's largest producers of wheat, corn, and sunflower seeds, with around 90% of its exports going through the Black Sea. However, with Russia's campaign of attacks halting exports, farmers like Rybalko are facing a complete disaster.

The Ukrainian government has introduced an emergency aid package for farmers, but it may not be enough to help them cope with the losses caused by the blockade. Analysts predict that Ukraine will lose around $2.5 billion in hard currency revenues this year due to the blockade.

Felix Fyodorov, a farm director in the Kharkiv region, said: 'The harvest compared to last year's, and the wheat too, is almost twice as good. But prices are half of what they were last year.'