About $ 115.4 million is urgently needed to prevent further deterioration of the food security situation and disruptions in the functioning of food chains in Ukraine. USA. Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) stated the need to immediately support Ukrainian farmers in planting vegetables and potatoes this spring season, as well as give them the opportunity to reach their fields and save the winter wheat harvest. This was reported at the official FAO website.
Under this plan , in response to a revised emergency inter-agency call, FAO has more than doubled its initial request of $ 50 million . USA, in order to provide support to 376,660 small and medium-sized farms or almost one million people by the end of December 2022.
«The situation with access to food, its production and its availability in general is deteriorating in many regions of Ukraine due to the war, so to prevent the food crisis in 2022 and 2023 will be crucial to support agricultural production and food supply chains, – said the director. emergency operations and resilience to external factors Raine Polsen. – FAO’s immediate task is to assist in the current spring sowing season and prevent disruption of future winter crops, which usually occur in June-July, otherwise the country’s food security Seasonality plays a key role in agriculture. You can’t waste time preparing for the upcoming autumn season. “
Agriculture is central to Ukraine’s economy, playing a key role in ensuring food security and livelihoods in the country and in the region. Large-scale destruction of crops and destruction of infrastructure during the war threatens food production and food security.
According to the FAO, in 2022 a third of the crop may not be harvested and one third of the agricultural land may not be cultivated. The forced movement of civilians fleeing the war and the call of men to the territorial defence forces is causing labour shortages and increasing the burden on women. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of access to and access to essential resources for agricultural production.
According to FAO’s preliminary estimates, farmers at all levels need money to purchase resources and services for food production and further agricultural activities.