In 2022, Ukraine fell short of up to 10 million tonnes of potential crops due to the capture of its territories by Russia.
That’s according to First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi, who addressed the issue at a press conference hosted by the Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform in Kyiv on September 19.
“Our evaluation is that about 10 million tonnes could be harvested from the areas that are now in the occupied territories,” the official said, adding that some of those crops were stolen, and some were burned.
According to Vysotskyi, thanks to the information collected from satellite images, the loss of 500,000 tonnes of grain has been confirmed.
The deputy minister noted that the final losses can be calculated after the territories have been de-occupied.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, in 2022, agrarians sowed 80% of the areas sown last year.