The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is spending more than $68 million to buy and ship Ukrainian grains. This is the largest export agreement of its kind since the Russian invasion and the July agreement to allow new shipments from Ukrainian Black Sea ports.

USAID is providing the resources to the World Food Program, a United Nations agency that historically obtains most of its grain from Ukraine, to buy, ship and store up to 150,000 tons of wheat. In 2022 so far, the United States has provided $4.8 billion to the U.N. agency, more than in any other year.

July's grain export agreement, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, has been gaining momentum in recent days, with the largest movement of ships in and out of Ukrainian ports. Five more ships left Ukraine on Tuesday (16), in the largest convoy since the agreement was signed.

United States, UN and Turkey

With the invasion in February, millions of tons of grain and other food were retained in Ukraine, contributing to an increase in world food prices. Before the war, Ukraine exported about 10% of the world's wheat and was an important supplier to countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, where the food crisis has been more severe.

Source: Canal Rural