Russian crops, fertilizer must be transported ‘unhindered’: UN chief

Russian fertilizers and agricultural products must be able to enter world markets “unhindered” or there could be a global food crisis as early as next year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday.

“It’s important that all governments and the private sector work together to bring them to market,” he said of the Joint Coordination Center.

The JCC oversees the implementation of Ukraine’s grain export agreement signed by Kyiv and Moscow in July, with the United Nations and Turkey as guarantors.

The agreement also guarantees Russia the right to export its agricultural products and fertilizers despite Western sanctions.

“What we see here in Istanbul and in Odessa is only the more visible part of the solution. The other part of this package is unhindered access to global markets for Russian food and fertilizers, which are not subject to sanctions,” Guterres said, adding that Russian fertilizer and agricultural exports still face “obstacles”.

“Without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023. Getting more food and fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and drive down prices for consumers,” he said.

Guterres traveled to Ukraine this week, where he met with Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday in the western city of Lviv.

He traveled to the southern city of Odessa on Friday.

Earlier on Saturday, he visited the first-aid vessel chartered by the United Nations to transport Ukrainian grain to the south coast of Istanbul in the Sea of ​​Marmara.

The Brave Commander left the Ukrainian port of Pivdenny on Tuesday with 23,000 tons of wheat before crossing the Bosphorus on Wednesday evening.

The UN chief vowed on Thursday that his organization would try to “boost” grain exports from Ukraine ahead of the onset of winter, as they are vital to food supplies in many African countries.

In Ireland, meanwhile, the Panama-flagged Navi Star carrying 33,000 tons of grain arrived two weeks after leaving southern Ukraine’s main port of Odessa – one of the first to depart under the July agreement.

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko said the continuation of supplies ultimately “depends on Russia, on Russian actions,” she added.

“We expect Russia to honor its commitments under the Black Sea Grains Initiative.”

According to the terms of the July agreement, since August 1, 650,000 tons of Ukrainian grain and agricultural products have left the Ukrainian ports of Odessa, Chornomorsk and Pivdenny.

Ships must use a secure corridor to travel in the Black Sea and then be inspected by the JCC before being allowed to cross the Bosphorus.

Grain exports from Ukraine, one of the world’s top producers and exporters, have been blocked for several months due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, fueling fears of a global food crisis.