Ukraine's Grain Harvest Caught in Crossfire Between Farmers and Export Disruptions

Ukraine's agricultural south is facing significant challenges due to Russian attacks on export infrastructure. The conflict has disrupted the routes connecting farmers to overseas buyers, driving a wedge between the value of grain abroad and what farmers can earn at home.

Vyacheslav Dolholutskyi, a 38-year-old farmer from the village of Posad-Pokrovske, is struggling to sell his grain. He cultivates around 100 hectares of land, mostly winter wheat and barley, but has no market for it due to the ongoing conflict.

Dolholutskyi recalls how he learned to drive a tractor while at school and began working on a local vegetable farm in 2008. However, the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022 interrupted his preparations for spring planting, forcing him to flee with his family to the Vinnytsia region.

After returning to their village, Dolholutskyi had to clear the land of unexploded ammunition and mines before bringing in machinery. Despite these challenges, he managed to grow a successful harvest, but now faces the problem of selling it due to the disruption of export routes.