Zeihan on ‘The End of Ukrainian Agriculture’

Peter Zeihan, an American author on geopolitics, writes Ukrainian agriculture is facing a severe threat after Russia exited the Black Sea grain deal and has attacked Ukrainian grain infrastructure. He says the intention behind these actions could be a bid to undermine the Ukrainian economy and potentially incite a famine in the region. As alternative paths for exporting these commodities prove challenging and inefficient due to cost and risk factors, Ukraine’s exports have already taken a significant hit, decreasing by two-thirds even prior to this deal’s collapse. The winter wheat crop, in particular, is expected to greatly suffer, with the current situation predicting it could be the last sizable harvest to make it to international markets, Zeihan notes. If Russia continues to target agricultural infrastructure in Ukraine, Zeihan says not only might the Ukrainian capacity to export crops be affected, but its potential to feed its own citizens could also be compromised. There are predictions that Ukraine could transition from an exporter to an importer of food within a year due to this situation. Read more from Pro Farmer.