The Russian Embassy in Ghana has said that Russia is not to be blamed for the current global challenges in the agricultural sector, but rather, the blame should be placed on the high demand and rising prices of food globally.
According to the Russian Embassy, the current situation in the agricultural space is not a result of happenings within the last two months, but due to a steady trend of happenings on the global stage in the last two years.
This message has sent Ghanaians back to the statement made by the Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Bawumia that the current hardship the country is facing is a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The increase in commodity prices has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia and Ukraine together account for 30% of global wheat exports; the longer the conflict ensues, the greater will be the disruption to global food supplies. The conflict is also likely to slow down global growth.
“According to the AfDB, the price of wheat has shot up by 62% since the war began, the price of fertilizer is up by 300%, and the price of maize is up by 36%. Here in Ghana, some 60% of our total imports of iron ore and steel are from Ukraine; Russia accounts for some 30% of Ghana’s imported grains, 50% of flour, and 39% of fertilizer.
“So we are directly affected by the Russian-Ukraine war. Unfortunately, we do not know when it would be over,” he said.
However, after this statement by the Vice President, the Russian Embassy in Ghana disagreed saying it cannot be blamed for the current price hikes.
“The current situation in the food markets is not a result of two months of this year, but a steady trend of at least two years. Food prices started rising in mid-2020 and reached an all-time high in February 2022. This is a real market shock caused by high demand and rising prices on food, raw materials, and transportation services, including freight, in the post-Covid recovery period,” the Embassy tweeted.
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