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Ukraine crisis poses risks and mitigations for UK food security

13 March 2022

The conflict in Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian tragedy, which will be felt across the world. We are hearing that the disruption to food output, supply chains, availability and affordability, could last for many years. 

A statement from the National Farmers Union says that while Government attention is rightly focused on attempts to resolve the crisis. And, though it in no way wishes to diminish national efforts to resolve the crisis, it has drawn attention to the consequences of this conflict for the UK.

It says that many other countries will be facing similar issues, which include economy-wide disruption that could last for many years, including to our food output, our food supply chains and the availability and affordability of food to consumers.

Minette Batters president at the NFU said: “The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been devastating to the people who live there and we have offered assistance to Ukrainian farmers in any way possible. 

“The war has also focused attention on the importance and fragility of food security, both at home and abroad.  British farmers continue to stand ready to do all we can to ensure the public continues to have access to high-quality, affordable, climate-friendly food.

“There are some clear short and long-term actions that Government can take to maintain confidence and stability across the UK’s food producing businesses. We have shared these with government and we want to stress that we stand ready to take these forward together, in order to navigate the extreme volatility we see today and expect to grow in the coming months.”
In addition to the fact that 30% of the world's wheat comes from Ukraine and Russia and exports will stop during the conflict, Batters told the BBC that the rising cost of producing fruit, vegetables and meat could cause farmers to make less at a time when the nation needs more. She said: "I think the world has got to recognise that this is not something we've faced before, we are going to see wheat price inflation levels that have never happened. The real danger is that farmers contract, they decide not to invest, they hold back from planting, and we produce less food." 

Ms Batters said the shortage of crops would also affect meat production as farmers need it to feed their livestock. “The cost of producing a chicken was 50% higher than it was a year ago but farmers were absorbing much of these costs,” she said.

Another factor affecting food production in the UK is that Ukrainian workers have accounted for 60% of recruits under the UK's Seasonal Workers Scheme, according to the NFU. These workers carry out essential roles such as planting, picking, packing and grading fresh produce. The NFU is asking the government to release an additional 10,000 visas under the Seasonal Workers Scheme, in addition to the 30,000 already granted.


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