Crimean farmers have stopped harvesting grain due to losses

Due to fuel shortages and a logistical collapse caused by the war, farmers in annexed Crimea are forced to leave their crops to rot right in the fields. Due to blocked exports and artificially low purchase prices, local producers are unable to sell their grain without incurring losses.

This was reportedby Krym.Realii. 

The publication notes that, according to data from local authorities controlled by Moscow, approximately two million metric tons of grain were harvested on the peninsula this year. The harvest, by their estimates, increased by more than 60% compared to last year. However, selling the grain has become very difficult. In addition, regular power outages have halted the operation of grain silos, so grain storage is also in question.

As a result, many farmers did not harvest their crops but left them in the fields. As the publication notes, they are unsure whether it is worth continuing to plant grain.

Denis Kratyuk, the Minister of Agriculture of the Russian government in Crimea, acknowledged the problem. He noted that purchase prices fluctuate regularly due to logistics, the ability to assemble high-quality batches, the timing of grain arrivals on the market, and a number of “undisclosed reasons.”

Oleg Zubkov, the owner of Crimean zoos and agricultural enterprises in the Belogorsk District, also commented on the situation. He called this year’s grain pricing mechanism “completely inadequate.”

“You can’t treat producers this way—people who invest in their work, risk everything, and don’t even recoup the costs they incurred during production. It’s inhumane; it’s abnormal,” he said.

Zubkov noted that currently, “selling wheat for 10 rubles is a stroke of luck and a blessing for any agricultural producer who has invested 13–15 rubles per kilogram to grow it and bring in this harvest.”

He also reported that he has tons of harvested grain stored in his threshing floors, but he doubts the wisdom of selling it under such conditions. Oleg Zubkov does not rule out the possibility that he will have to process the harvest himself and use it to feed animals in zoos.
 

Юлія Калабайда