Miller Magazine Issue: 149 May 2022

71 COVER STORY MILLER / MAY 2022 data, Ukraine was the world's fourth-largest grain exporter in the 2020/21 season, selling 44.7 million tonnes abroad. The volume of exports has fallen sharply since the Russian invasion. In the situation were Ukraine is practically cut off from its Black Sea ports without any access to Ukrainian ports at all, Constanta becomes the logical safe haven big port option for Ukrainian grain. Ukrainian farmers are forced to discount their grain in order to have logistical access to exports. The port of Constanta is becoming subject to extreme pressure and Ro- manian farmers might have to pay higher fobbing prices to compete for exports. Meanwhile, reports of grain expropriation and grain looting in occupied areas have been ubiqui- tous. Russian attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastruc- ture look like attempts to reduce the competition in Russia's export markets, German Agriculture Min- ister Cem Oezdemir was reported saying. “We are repeatedly receiving reports about targeted Rus- sian attacks on grain silos, fertilizer stores, farming areas and infrastructure,” Oezdemir was quoted as telling the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, a cooperation network of German regional newspa- pers. The suspicion is growing that Russian Presi- dent Vladimir Putin is seeking “in the long term to remove Ukraine as a competitor”, Oezdemir was quoted as saying. As a result of it, the United Na- tions estimates that about 1.7 billion people may face poverty and hunger. Taking a closer look at the weather, which uncon- testably remains one of the main factor affecting supply and demand in grain markets, we look at the current global crop prospects relative to a year ago: •Crop ratings for the US Plains wheat are much worse than same time last year. •EU wheat crop potential looks worse over up to 50% of the area due to excessive dryness. •Current extreme heatwave and subsequent dryness wreaks havoc in Indian wheat crop. LST collected on April 29 shows max value exceeding 62°C/143°F. Source: ADAM Platform