Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Canada ships seeds to Ukraine to help hard-pressed farmers targeted by Russia

Share
OTTAWA -

Canada is sending seeds to Ukraine, including fast-growing buckwheat, to help out with a food crisis sparked by the Russian invasion, says Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

Ukraine, like Canada, is one of the world's biggest exporters of wheat and supplies many countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the UN World Food Program.

Ukraine's government has asked Canada to send seeds as well as testing equipment to certify grain being transported by rail through Europe. Russia has blockaded Ukraine's ports, including Odesa, and Ukraine's silos are bursting with grain from its last harvest, which it cannot export.

Buckwheat, used to make soba noodles, has a shorter growing season than wheat, making it easier to cultivate for Ukraine's hard-pressed farmers.

Bibeau said Canada is also shipping mobile silos to Ukraine to store grain.

"This is a kind of storage that can be installed very quickly," Bibeau said in an interview on Friday.

Bibeau said Canadian farmers "want to step up" to help alleviate the world food shortage stemming from the invasion.

She said the government and Canada's grain producers are "all hands on deck" to get as much grain to developing countries facing hunger as they can.

Canada's grain growers are well aware of the global food shortages following the Russian invasion, she said, and are "really trying their best to produce more."

"If we compare it to last year, which was a very bad year because of the drought, we hope to have about 44 per cent more production this year," Bibeau said.

Katie Ward, president of the National Farmers Union, said Canadian farmers are fully aware of world shortages and there is already "a real push to grow every acre they can get under cultivation."

At a press conference on Monday, Bibeau launched a consultation on how to address staff shortages in Canada's agricultural industry, including family farms.

She said Ukrainian farming families fleeing to Canada would be welcome in its agricultural sector, which has many similarities to Ukraine's.

The World Food Program has been warning for months that many countries that rely on Ukrainian wheat are facing starvation because of shortages.

Earlier this month, Mykola Solskyi, Ukraine's agrarian policy minister, told a House of Commons committee that Russia's military has been deliberately targeting Ukraine's grain stores. He also accused Russia of stealing Ukrainian grain and exporting it as Russian to Syria.

Putin's forces have also placed mines in some Ukrainian fields and have bombed food storage facilities.

Last week, in the Ukrainian port Mykolaiv, a vegetable oil storage facility owned by Canadian-Dutch company Viterra was hit by a Russian missile strike, though no one was killed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2022.

Get in touch

Do you have any questions about the attack on Ukraine? Email dotcom@bellmedia.ca.

  • Please include your name, location, and contact information if you are willing to speak to a journalist with Â鶹´«Ã½.
  • Your comments may be used in a CTVNews.ca story.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

Stay Connected