Ukraine appeals to G7 for help in farmland demining

This was emphasized by Mykola Solskyi, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, who delivered an address to the G7 agricultural ministers via video conference, the government press service reports, as seen by Ukrinform.

“The process of demining the liberated areas does not stop. But it is complex and will take decades. Today, more than 2,600 deminers from both public and private organizations are involved in mine clearance in Ukraine. With this level of effort, it will take us more than 20 years to clear agricultural land alone,” minister said.

According to Solskyi, 470,000 hectares of farmland across Ukraine are infested with mines. So far, only 17.5% of mined territories have been surveyed, of which 57,000 hectares are intended for agricultural purposes.

Solskyi also emphasized that Ukraine urgently needs special equipment to pace up demining efforts.

“We have an urgent need for demining equipment. We know exactly what kind of equipment it is and how much we need. And this is where we rely on your help,” Mykola Solskyi addressed his colleagues.

He emphasized that international support will speed up the demining process and save the lives of Ukrainians who are forced to take daily risks.

The minister also said that there are brave farmers who do not wait until it is their turn to have their land demined so they do it on their own, using metal detectors, at their own risk.

According to Solskyi, Russian aggression also hampered Ukraine’s exports and logistics, led to price hikes, lack of working capital for farmers, their inability to pay loans, and loss of agricultural equipment.

At the same time, Ukraine continues to provide grain to ensure global food security. Almost 59 million tonnes of agricultural products have already been exported since war-start. Ukraine also carries out a humanitarian mission – Grain from Ukraine – to support the world’s most vulnerable countries. Since the initiative was launched, six ships with food have sailed off and another four are bound to leave Ukrainian ports in the near future, the press service reports.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, 172 hectares of farmland were cleared of explosives in Kharkiv, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions in the past week alone.