EU Official Warns ‘Suffering’ Ahead as European Farmers Lose Access to Ukrainian Animal Feed

While many enjoy European-reared beef, in many cases the crops that feed the animals while they grow come from Ukraine. Now, a senior EU official has warned the European agricultural sector is going to face serious ‘pain’ as a result of losing access to Ukrainian animal feed and fertiliser.

Long known colloquially as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine produces a significant percentage of the world’s market share of grains, including the likes of wheat, corn and barley, which Europe in part relies on to feed livestock.

However, as a result of the Russian invasion of the region, Europe has largely lost access to its Ukrainian supply.

“Ukraine and Russia between them account for over 30 per cent of world trade in wheat,” Michael Scannell — reportedly the second senior-most civil servant in the EU’s Agricultural Department — told the bloc’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Irishman went on to note that the two nations also are responsible for 32 per cent of the world’s corn, 17 per cent of its barley, and over half of the world’s share of Sunflower oil, seeds, and meals.

Follow live the AGRI Committee debate on the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on EU agricultural markets. https://t.co/U8Xhspk3xa

— AGRI Committee Press (@EP_Agriculture) February 28, 2022

However, Europe’s agricultural and food sectors have now suffered serious reductions in access to this market, a fact that Scannell describes as “extremely worrying” considering the level of reliance Europe has on what both countries produce for their own agricultural production. – READ MORE