It is already possible to grow 1 million tons of grain on the demined lands of Ukraine

Mine clearance of agricultural land is one of Ukraine’s top priorities for humanitarian aid. This will help strengthen both global food security and Ukraine’s economic stability,” the Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy informs.

Thus, according to the Ministry of Economy, in 2023, Ukraine managed to demine the area of agricultural land that can grow 1 million tons of grain, and 18 thousand square kilometers of land were returned to circulation during the year.

The area recognized as potentially mined is 174 thousand square kilometers. Agricultural land affected by mining includes 208 thousand hectares. At present, 156 thousand square kilometers of land need to be checked for explosive devices.

It is noted that thanks to the help of partners with demining, Ukraine remains a key player in the global grain and sunflower oil markets, with a share of more than 10% of international trade. In 2023, Ukraine exported 16.1 million tons of wheat to 65 countries, 26.2 million tons of corn to 80 countries, and 5.7 million tons of sunflower oil to 130 countries.

Also, this year, the plan for returning agricultural land to economic use was updated based on updated data from the UBA and proposals from operators. New lands were added to the plan to be demined first. According to the plan, more than 512 thousand hectares of farmland are to be surveyed and, if necessary, cleared and demined.

Over the past year, sappers have completed a significant amount of work to inspect and clear agricultural land. They surveyed 274,000 hectares, which is more than half of the areas planned to be returned to farmers within four years.

According to the updated plan, the priority return of land to economic use will take place in 8 regions. It is planned to survey and, if necessary, clear and demine the following areas:

• Donetsk region – 12.8 thousand hectares;
• Chernihiv region – 2 thousand hectares;
• Sumy region – 85 hectares;
• Dnipropetrovsk region – 6.6 thousand hectares;
• Kyiv region – 9.4 thousand hectares;
• Mykolaiv region – 44 thousand hectares;
• Kharkiv region – 190 thousand hectares;
• Kherson region – 248 thousand hectares.

At the same time, it is noted that according to World Bank experts, priority demining of agricultural land in Ukraine will cost about $1.5 billion. Without surveying and demining, the use of these lands by farmers is impossible.

Tags: Ukraine