Russia Boosts Grain Production in Occupied Ukraine, Sows 1.8M Hectares Amid War

Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine have planted crops on 1.8 million hectares (4.4 million acres) this season, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev announced Friday, as Moscow seeks to solidify its grip on occupied territories and offset domestic harvest risks.

Key Figures:

• 🌾 Sowing Progress:
  • 1.6M hectares winter crops (mostly wheat, barley).
  • 200K hectares spring crops (sunflower, corn).
  • Total targeted area: 3M hectares (~4% of Russia’s farmland).
• 💰 Subsidies: 5B rubles ($59.8M) allocated to farmers in occupied zones.
• 2023 Harvest: 5M metric tons of grain (equal to Russia’s Kursk region).

Why It Matters:

1. Economic Annexation:
   • Russia exempts grain from occupied areas from export taxes, incentivizing production.
   • Crops are excluded from official stats but counted in ministry forecasts.
2. War Logistics:
   • Controlled areas include fertile Donbas and southern Ukraine—key to global wheat supplies.
   • Kherson/Zaporizhzhia cities remain under Ukrainian control, limiting full exploitation.
3. Global Fallout:
   • Kyiv and the West condemn the seizures as illegal resource theft.
   • Russia’s 2023 grain exports hit 60M+ tons, with occupied Ukraine contributing ~8%.

What’s Next?

• Harvest Risks: Weather, sabotage, or Ukrainian counteroffensives could disrupt yields.
• Trade Tensions: Western buyers may reject grain labeled as Russian but grown in Ukraine.
• Diplomatic Clash: G7 nations could tighten sanctions on Russian agricultural exports.