The war in Ukraine is destabilizing a whole section of world agriculture. The country provides food for 400 million people around the world. The sowing period has started but some fields remain desperately empty. This is particularly the case in the Brovary region, east of kyiv, where Aleksander Feshyun’s farm is located.
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Aleksander has set foot on his farm again after the Russians left a month ago. In front of the gutted buildings, he still cannot believe the extent of the damage. “Honestly I was hoping only the roof would burn, but even the beams collapsedlaments the Ukrainian farmer. Everything is destroyed, everything is twisted. It’s really a horror. Next door we had our offices, there is almost nothing left.”
Nothing remains either of the five cars and fifteen agricultural machines riddled with bullets and shrapnel. It was therefore impossible to sow sunflower and maize in the thousand hectares of his farm, especially since most of the fields were the scene of fighting. “There are shells lying around I don’t know if the fields are trapped or notworries Aleksander. Today we want to start applying the fertilizers to the winter crops. On the rest of the surfaces it remains to be done, but my guys are afraid, I too am afraid to go there.
Aleksander, however, criss-crosses his fields with a metal detector, and uses a drone, at his own risk. While waiting for the arrival of the deminers who are overwhelmed, “These volumes are monstrous and we only have 15 people for the whole Kyiv region. But I assure you that the group is working”explains Mykola Muray, head of the pyrotechnic service of the police in the Kyiv region.
“We understand that we have to carry out the sowing campaign because people need to eat. It’s our country, our economy. But I couldn’t tell you when this cleaning will be finished.”
Mykola Muray, Kyiv Policeat franceinfo
Aleksander, the farmer, turns to the black earth dug with shell holes: “Everything we have acquired over the past 25 years, it’s all there.” It is necessary to sow before mid-May to ensure production.