Ukraine: Host warns of bread shortages following wheat blockade
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has thrown the world into a global food crisis, as a shortage of key foods like wheat is pushing prices to record levels. Both Moscow and Kyiv are some of the largest agricultural exporters in the world, with Russia supplying 18 percent of the global wheat exports, and Ukraine adding a further 10 percent to that figure. The warring nations also export a combined total of 26 percent of the world’s barley.
When it comes to sunflower oil, the two countries export over half of all supplies, with Ukraine leading with 37 percent, followed by Russia with 26 percent.
Finally, Putin’s homeland is also a major chemical fertiliser exporter at 17 percent of global supply, as the process tends to be fossil fuel-intensive.
Ukraine being unable to export commodities through its ports, and Russia being stopped by Western sanctions, has led to a growing food crisis that even threatened the food security of many nations.
Since that time, many are calling for the UK to secure its food supply, which could help with rising food prices.
Robert Kimbell tweeted: “The UK shipped abroad $87,336,000 worth of wheat in 2021, according to the trade monitoring site WTEx.
“We should do what India has done and halt exports of wheat.
“We need that British wheat here for our own needs now.”
Most recently, India announced a ban on wheat exports from the country, as a result of both the global food shortage crisis and the threat of the intense heatwave that is currently gripping the country.
India is the world’s second-largest producer of wheat, so a ban on exports could push food prices to even higher levels, as the cost of wheat has grown by 40 percent since the start of the year.
While the UK did export about $87million (£70.4million) worth of wheat in 2021, 80 percent of the crop that is used in the UK is grown domestically, according to the Federation of Bakers.
Alex Waugh, director of the UK Flour Millers association said: “Between February 16 and 3rd March, the quotation for wheat on the London futures market rose by 28%.
“This sharp jump in market prices follows earlier increases as a result of relatively poor harvests in 2021.
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“It is inevitable that in time they will feed through in increased consumer prices for a range of foodstuffs that depend on grain as a key input.”
As the cost of living crisis deepens following the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, with surging inflation pummelling the economy, Governor of the Bank England, Andrew Bailey has said he is “helpless”.
Mr Bailey warned of the “apocalyptic” impact of upcoming mass food shortages as oil and energy prices also continue to soar across the world.
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