Ukraine’s agriculture minister warns that, in the worst case, the next harvest could fail.

Taras Vysotskyi, Ukraine’s agriculture minister, has warned of a worst-case scenario for the country’s next harvest amid Russian attacks on grain ships and Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea. These ports are central to Ukraine’s agricultural exports.

The statement is documented as a warning by the minister. It does not describe an event that has already occurred or what is currently considered the most likely outcome.

The phrase “in the worst case” explicitly identifies an extreme possible scenario. The attacks could disrupt exports, reduce revenue, hinder future agricultural production, and place additional pressure on international grain markets.

This does not mean, however, that the entire Ukrainian harvest is currently considered likely to fail. Future developments will depend on factors including the course of the war, whether the ports can continue operating, and the availability of alternative export routes.

A widespread harvest failure could also increase Ukraine’s financing needs because agricultural export revenue, foreign-currency earnings, and tax receipts could decline. Agricultural businesses might require additional support for seeds, fertilizer, loans, or the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

This would not automatically require additional funding from Germany, the European Union, or other international partners. Neither the potential amount of additional financing nor whether new grants, loans, guarantees, or special agricultural assistance would be approved had been determined at the time of review.