MADRID, July 17. /TASS/. The lack of an agreement on the grain deal may cause a food crisis, says Manuel Torrero, representative of the Spanish Young Farmers Association (ASAJA).
"We must be careful, we must wait for several days; maybe, the sides will change their position," he noted. "We hope that the scenario will be reversed and the very important agreement [will be reached], because, in the end, it affects the movement of grain on a global level," Torrero told TASS.
He believes that the lack of the agreement "would be very dangerous and could lead to a certain food crisis."
As for Spain, which is one of the key recipients of the Ukrainian deal, the ASAJA representative noted that the non-extension of the deal may cause prices to spike in Spain and also affect livestock farming.
On Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow has officially notified Turkey, Ukraine and the UN Secretariat about its objection against the extension of the grain deal. According to the spokeswoman, the Foreign Ministry will soon publish a statement with a detailed explanation of Russia’s position.
The agreements on food exports from Ukraine were signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022 for 120 days and then extended three times. One of the agreements facilitates the procedure for exporting grain from ports controlled by Kiev. The other part deals with access to world markets for Russian agricultural products and fertilizers. Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that some points of the deal were not implemented, including the agreement that the majority of the grain must be sent to the poorest countries. They also pointed out that obstructions are being created for shipments of Russian food and fertilizer to the global market.