Whiles governments across the globe are blaming Russia for deliberately causing economic hardship, surge in food prices and other commodities for attacking Ukraine in a war, two of the global food baskets, their government has denied any wrong doing.
In an official Twitter handle, the Russian Embassy in Ghana blamed the effect of Covid -19 as a result of high demand and rising prices of food, raw materials, and transportation services.
The release dated on April 18 on Easter Monday said Russia cannot be blamed for current situation in the agricultural space and is not a result of happenings within the last two months, but trends of happenings on the global stage in the last two years.
The Russian Embassy in Ghana disagreed saying it cannot be blamed for the current price hikes adding that the situation in the food markets did not start in these two months. Food prices started rising in mid-2020 and reached an all-time high in February 2022.
“This is a real market shock caused by high demand and rising prices on food, raw materials, and transportation services, including freight, in the post-Covid recovery period,” the Embassy tweeted.
It would be recalled that the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, addressing Ghanaians on the state of the on April 7, 2022, said that aside from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war is adversely affecting the Ghanaian economy.
Dr Bawumia noted among the following that the prices of food supplies have shot up because the two countries that are exporters of commodities such as wheat, and grains, have withheld supply due to the crisis.
“The increase in commodity prices has been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Russia and Ukraine together account for 30% of global wheat exports; the longer the conflict ensues, the greater will be the disruption to global food supplies. The conflict is also likely to slow down global growth.
“According to the AfDB, the price of wheat has shot up by 62% since the war began, the price of fertilizer is up by 300%, and the price of maize is up by 36%. Here in Ghana, some 60% of our total imports of iron ore and steel are from Ukraine; Russia accounts for some 30% of Ghana’s imported grains, 50% of flour, and 39% of fertilizer.
“So we are directly affected by the Russian-Ukraine war. Unfortunately, we do not know when it would be over,” he stated.
In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine following the former Soviet Union leader’s disagreement with NATO’s eastward expansion.
Recent reports have indicated that about 10,000 people have lost their lives following the Russia-Ukraine war.
