An economist has told Business Insider, that between Russia and Ukraine, they control more than a quarter of the world’s wheat exports, and Russia’s invasion has caused a surge in the price of essential grains. An economist at Grain SA, Luan van der Walt told Business Insider South Africa, the ripple effect will start to reflect on retail shelves in South Africa in about 3 months.
Meanwhile, the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa says it will continue to engage with stakeholders, to mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the citrus industry. The ban on exports of citrus fruit to Russia has lead to large consignments of market-ready fruit not reaching its destination. CEO of the Association, Justin Chadwick says 11-point-2 million cartons of citrus fruit were exported to Russia in 2021.
At the same time, diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine step up today, with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators set to talk again after both sides cited progress. This even after Russia attacked a base near the Polish border, killing 35 people and wounding 134, while Russia’s defence ministry claims up to 180 “foreign mercenaries” and a large number of foreign weapons were destroyed, in the attack. Reuters could not independently verify the casualties reported by both sides.
