KIEV (Reuters) – The Ukrainian government authorized the Ministry of Agriculture to identify critical facilities in the agricultural sector that should be prioritized for receiving energy supplies, the ministry said on Tuesday.
Ukraine is a major grain exporter. Russia, which invaded the country in February, has targeted Ukraine’s power infrastructure with missile and drone strikes since October, frequently disrupting power and forcing Kiev to implement emergency blackouts while repairs are carried out.
By government resolution, companies in the “food processing industry and agricultural complex, (and in) operation of irrigation systems and channels” will be selected to receive priority energy.
The Ukrainian union of grain traders UGA asked the government last week to ensure priority supply of electricity to grain silos to reduce possible damage to the harvest.
UGA said that with around 10 million tonnes of grain storage capacity lost due to Russia’s invasion in nearly 10 months of war, Ukraine “cannot afford to lose the harvest that has been collected with incredible efforts.” ”.
Ukraine’s 2022 grain crop could drop to around 51 million tonnes from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021 due to Russia’s February 24 invasion and lower yields, the government said.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk)
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