The destruction of the Kakhovska Dam in Ukraine will have a major impact on the Ukranian fruit and vegetable cultivation, says Volodymyr Gurzhiy of Ukrainian apple exporter USPA: “Big volumes of fruits and vegetables, approximately 30 per cent of the entire production, are grown in the south of Ukraine. The war in Ukraine had a significant impact on the volume of cultivation. Even before the explosion of the Kakhovska Dam, the production of fruits and especially vegetables was in danger, because even the Right Bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson region, which is de-occupied, still needs to be demined for a long time. We cannot talk about the Left Bank of the Dnipro in the region at all, because it is still occupied by the Russians.”
Despite the water levels receding, it is unclear how large the damage will be to the Ukrainian soil in the next few years, Gurzhiy explains. “The destruction of the Dam will greatly affect the already negative situation in the region, because at first the fields were flooded, but now the water is receding and it is unknown what scale it will reach. The system of water channels is damaged and most of the region will not be able to be irrigated with water, and without irrigation in the South of Ukraine, it is almost impossible to grow fruits and vegetables. In general, the entire ecosystem of the region is damaged and nature will need some time to adjust, so the scale of the damage is difficult to assess.”
Although apples aren’t the major product grown in this area, other fruits and vegetables will take a major hit according to Gurzhiy: “The main damage was caused to the season of watermelons and melons, stone fruits and cherries. One of the main regions for growing cherries is Melitopol, a region occupied by Russians today. Thus, most probably, Ukrainians will import these products for consumption this year. As for the apple orchards, the situation here is more positive, because the South of Ukraine is not considered an apple region and production there is relatively small.”
To a large extent, the recovery will depend on whether it will be possible to repair the irrigation system in the conditions of the active stage of the war in the region, Gurzhiy states. “We still need to assess the scale of losses from the Dam explosion, which are still unknown at the moment, but I think that this year it is not worth counting on anything. Ukrainian farmers will have to work in the existing conditions. The active phase of military operations in the region does not give hope for a quick recovery. I am sure that the Ukrainian people will do everything for the fastest victory and recovery. Even during the war, even in the hot zones, we are still planting, growing and harvesting, so after the win, we’ll recover fast.”
“All Ukrainians are actively working for victory, however, even if everything will be as it is and military actions will not be escalated, I do not see any problems for the apple season this year. The Ukrainian Sud Tyrol, the major acreage of apples orchards, is situated far from the front line. We expect the usual harvest and plan to actively export in the upcoming season,” Gurzhiy concludes.
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Volodymyr Gurzhiy
USPA Fruit LLC
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