NASA has calculated from satellite images how much grain Russia has stolen from the occupied territories this year
Significant volumes of this grain can significantly affect the market
According to NASA's Food Security and Agriculture Program, about 6.4 million tons of wheat and almost 1.5 million tons of sunflower seeds were harvested this year in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russian troops.
Source. This was reported by Bloomberg.
It is so difficult to estimate the amount of grain grown in the occupied territories that some of the most famous analysts simply exclude these regions from their forecasts. However, the publication warns that this is a wrong approach, as significant volumes of this grain can have a significant impact on the market.
The problem is that much of the grain is exported to Russia or mixed with Russian grain and sold on the world market.
But NASA's Food Security and Agriculture Program gives a clue to the volumes. This year, the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine harvested about 6.4 million tons of wheat – similar to Bulgaria's total production – and nearly 1.5 million tons of sunflower seeds, according to research using satellite imagery.
"We're talking about a huge amount of grain," said Inbal Becker-Reshef, director of NASA's Harvest program. "It's very important that this information is open and transparent, and that it shows how much food is being harvested and produced.
Estimates of value and damage are also important for any claims Ukraine may make for reparations from Russia.
While NASA's study does not show how much grain grown in the occupied territories is exported, it does help determine how much grain may be mixed with Russian cargo bound for the Middle East and Africa.
The NASA Harvest study also shows that about 7% of Ukraine's agricultural land has been abandoned this year, mostly along the front line.
Background. As a reminder, the occupiers stole almost 900 tons of grain from an enterprise in the Luhansk region. The invaders labeled it as "mismanaged property" and transferred it to the "agrarian fund of the LPR."
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