Grainswest - Winter 2023

Winter 2023 Grains West 36 T he Russian invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 2022, resulting in thousands killed or injured, millions displaced and the destruction of urban and rural areas alike. This catastrophic escalation of the almost- nine-year Russo-Ukraine War has also devastated Ukrainian agriculture. It’s a brutal hit that will have long-lasting and far-reaching consequences within the country and across the globe. As the fight rages on, Canadians have taken a lead role as the farming sector steps forward to shore up, rebuild and retain agricultural production in Ukraine. A portion of the effort is taxpayer funded. In August of 2022, the Canadian government committed $52 million for grain storage solutions for small- and medium-sized Ukrainian farms. This was intended for the purchase of polyethylene sleeves and longer-term modular storage units as well as related equipment and technical support. Many Canadian initiatives aim to meet Ukraine’s needs quickly, effectively and in many cases, farmers are helping farmers. “Supporting farmers and farming in Ukraine is critical,” said Anastasia Fyk. “Supplying arms is one thing and obviously it’s needed in a war situation, but you can’t eat arms, you can’t eat money. Our goal with our project was to save people’s lives with food.” Fyk helped co-ordinate the logistics of one of the earliest Canada-based aid projects, a last-minute, mad-dash effort to transport Canadian buckwheat seed to Ukraine in time for spring seeding. Ukraine depends on buckwheat as a domestic staple and the country is typically an important supplier of buckwheat to multiple European and Asian countries. However, Russian shelling and burning of Ukrainian crops and grain storage facilities left farmers without adequate seed ahead of the 2022 cropping season. Faced with a time crunch, in early March, the Embassy of Ukraine sent an urgent plea to the Government of Canada for buckwheat seed. The federal government circulated the request throughout the agricultural community. Garland, MB, farmer Don Fyk (Anastasia’s father) operates FYK Soba, a buckwheat processing facility. When he received the message, he realized he was uniquely positioned to help. WAR BONDS Canadian agriculture aids Ukrainian farmers BY MADELEINE BAERG LEAD PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK