GLOBAL FOOD PRICES REACH HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 2022 AMID BLACK SEA DISRUPTIONS

Sun 06 September 2026:

Russia-Ukraine war pressures grain supplies as attacks disrupt exports from two major wheat suppliers

Global food prices climbed in August to their highest level since late 2022, driven by renewed disruption to grain markets and Black Sea exports linked to the Russia-Ukraine war, according to United Nations data and the Polish Economic Institute (PIE).

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Price Index increased to 133.3 points in August from 130.8 in July. Prices rose across all five major food categories, although the index remained about 17% below its record peak in March 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Attacks disrupt wheat exports

PIE said attacks on port infrastructure and shipping during July and August had severely disrupted grain trade from Russia and Ukraine, which together account for roughly one-third of global wheat exports.

Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports in Odesa and along the Danube reduced Ukraine’s wheat exports to 1.6 million metric tons between August 1 and 28. That was about 60% lower than the same period a year earlier and represented only around 20% of the country’s potential export capacity, PIE said, citing Ukrainian authorities.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia’s Novorossiysk port contributed to a 56% year-on-year decline in Russian wheat exports, according to estimates by agricultural consultancy SovEcon cited by PIE.

Russian wheat shipments reached 1.6 million metric tons during the first month of the season, the lowest level recorded for that period since the 2017/18 season.

International markets feel the impact

The disruptions are already affecting global markets. Wheat futures rose by about 30% year-on-year in August, reaching their highest level in more than three years, PIE said.

Asian importers have also begun shifting purchases toward wheat from Australia and Argentina as deliveries from Russia and Ukraine become increasingly unreliable.

Ukraine is seeking alternative export routes and has called for greater transit through Poland and other neighboring EU countries. Kyiv has also urged Poland to lift its embargo on imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed.

However, PIE warned that land routes cannot replace the volumes previously transported through Black Sea ports. Low water levels on the Danube and attacks on infrastructure near Moldova are further restricting Ukraine’s alternative export channels.

Russia is attempting to redirect some grain shipments through Baltic ports following disruption at Novorossiysk, which normally handles around one-third of the country’s grain exports. The alternative routes, however, involve higher costs and longer delivery times.

Economic pressure increases

Agricultural products account for about 60% of Ukraine’s total exports. Prolonged disruption could therefore place additional pressure on the country’s export earnings, storage capacity and economic growth, PIE said.

The institute warned that continued attacks on Black Sea infrastructure were raising the economic cost of the war for both Russia and Ukraine, while transmitting the effects to global food markets at an increasingly rapid pace.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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