Wires: Ukraine Crop To Fall 42% To 19.2mn Tons In 2022

Wires reporting that according to the Ukraine Grain Group, the country's wheat crop is set to fall 42% in 2022, down to 19.2mn tons. The export of grain from Ukraine is becoming a major political and economic issue as food price inflation and security of supply rises up the list of concerns for gov'ts worldwide, particluarly in MENA and SSA.

• European Union states have sought to encourage Russia to allow 'grain corridors' for the export of wheat from Ukraine via Black Sea ports. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that this would only happen with the removal of western sanctions.
• WaPo reports that Ukraine "produces about a fifth of the world’s high-grade wheat and 7 percent of all wheat."
• Earlier today, Pope Francis raised the issue in his weekly address, stating that "Of great concern is the blockade of grain exports from Ukraine, on which the lives of millions of people depend, especially in the poorest countries. I earnestly appeal for every effort to be made to resolve this issue and to guarantee the universal human right to food. Please do not use wheat, a staple food, as a weapon of war!"