West provoking a global food crisis: Putin

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia's grain harvest in 2022 looks promising, even record-breaking in some ways, with a total of 150 million tonnes expected.

During an online meeting on the progress of seasonal field works in the country, Putin said, "According to operational data... the harvest promises to be worthy this year. On some indicators, it will be record-breaking."

Putin stressed that 138.7 million tonnes of Russian grain had already been harvested.

"This is about a third more year-on-year. According to experts, the total grain harvest may reach 150 million tonnes. We have earlier said 140 [million tonnes], 145, then 147, now it is a preliminary estimate of 150. And wheat [harvest] will reach about 100 million tonnes. This will be a record value in the entire history of Russia," Putin added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Putin stated that sanctions against Russia were worsening an acute food insecurity situation. 

The entire problem is the collective fault of the West and has nothing to do with Russia's special operation in Ukraine.

"I repeat, the West is provoking a global food crisis," the Russian leader concluded.

9 more grain ships leave Ukraine under Istanbul deal: Turkey

In a related context, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that nine more ships have left Ukrainian ports under the Istanbul grain export deal,

A Ministry statement, which did not disclose the point of origin of the ships, said shipments from Ukrainian ports are continuing as planned.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has lately warned that the world will be at risk of food shortages next year if the problem of a destabilized fertilizer market is not resolved soon.

During a briefing, Guterres said, "In 2022 we have no lack of food, we have a problem of distribution”, adding, "If we don't normalize the fertilizer market, we will have a problem of food in 2023."

Elsewhere in his remarks, he revealed that the United Nations is considering expanding the grain agreement to include ammonia exports.

Russia alone in 2021 was the leading exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second major supplier of potassium fertilizers, and the third-largest supplier of phosphorous fertilizers. 

Western sanctions on Moscow imposed over the war in Ukraine have undermined Russia's sales of agricultural products around the globe, which prompted the Kremlin to suspend the export of fertilizers.

The sanctions fired back at the West, surging food prices in March to their highest levels ever, while the International Monetary Fund warned in April that global food prices will likely rise further in the future due to the war, the sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and climate issues ravaging the planet.

The US and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations, and the sanctions even affected agriculture and foodstuffs.