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international organisations to trace the transit route of the stolen grain. In addition to the grain, the occupiers stole 40 pieces of equipment Agroton uses for tillage and harvesting.
The war has halted agricultural investment in Ukraine. Yields during the war were no worse than the average in recent years, but investment in the industry has stopped, reported Forbes Ukraine. According to the Minister of Agriculture, Mykola Solsky, the recovery of investment in the sector will be slow. "Even if the war ends tomorrow, it will take some time to make such decisions, to be mentally ready for it," the minister said. Solsky believes three things are needed to bring investors back to agribusiness: an insurance system for businesses operating in wartime conditions, effective court protection, and permanently opening the European market for Ukrainian products. Solskyi added that the ministry and its European partners will start developing a road map in the fall, clearly outlining all the necessary steps to abolish customs duties, which will enable Ukrainian businesses to plan their investments.
Ukrainians’ food availability has decreased by almost 50%. As of June 2022, the Food Availability Index (FAI) fell to 6.5, which is 47.6% lower than the pre-war level, 12% lower than in the first half of June, and 14.9% lower than in May. This is evidenced by research data from the KSE Institute's Food and Land Use Research Centre. It is noted that before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the FAI was 12.4. A person with an average income at the end of June could buy almost 48% less food than before the war. The main reason for the decrease in the FAI is the increase in the average price of the food basket, a measure of average prices for staple food items. As of the last week of June (June 27 - July 1), the basket price increased by 17.5% compared to May 23-27. The reasons for the significant price increase are seasonal factors and the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine has exported at least 721,000 tonnes of grain since the Istanbul grain deal was signed on July 22, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on August 22, as cited by Tass. "Delegations of our ministries held talks and signed the agreement. Operations [of the Joint Center] continue as part of this agreement. Grain exported from Ukrainian ports amounted to 721,449 tonnes as of this morning. I hope this figure will grow further in coming days," Akar said, cited by TRT TV Channel. The agreement set up the international supervised Joint Coordination Center (JCC) that has been overseeing the exports that so far have proceeded smoothly. Ukraine has some 20mn tonnes of grain in its silos and expects to harvest an additional 20mn tonnes this year and could earn up to $20bn from the exports. Turkey "continues making efforts that this process does not gear down, and grain cargo is delivered quickly and safely," the Minister added. Prior to the war Ukraine was expecting to produce a record crop of 100mn tonnes of grain and export some 52.4mn tonnes. However, the war has affected about a third of its land under cultivation and the current forecast for the harvest has been almost halved.
Ukrainian milk producers will receive UAH 100M from Switzerland.
Switzerland has allocated 2.5M Swiss francs (UAH 100M) to support milk production farms in those regions affected by hostilities. These regions include Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Sumy, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported. The project aims to improve Ukrainians' access to quality dairy products by ensuring production hygiene. Interested milk producers in the affected areas will receive supplies for washing and disinfecting milking equipment, pre- and post-milking
75 UKRAINE Country Report September 2022 www.intellinews.com