Investigate Midwest (https://investigatemidwest.org/tag/russia/)
The situation in Ukraine has already garnered action from the USDA — a $250 million investment in US fertilizer production.
“We import 80% of the fertilizer we use from outside the U.S. so the situation in eastern Europe will affect those supply chain issues around the world," one farm bureau representative said.
According to a well-presented American Farm Bureau analysis released in October, U.S. farm income in 2019 will reach $88 billion, or the highest net farm income since 2014’s $92 billion, but it will still be a third lower than the record high in 2013.
The U.S. and Russia are two of the world’s top grain-producing countries and according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Russia will provide 22 percent of the world’s grain exports by 2021. But how, exactly, do farmers in each of these countries provide food for the masses? We visited two areas to find out - The Rostov region, one of Russia’s largest grain and oilseed producers, and Central Illinois, home to one of the largest grain and oilseed production companies in the world.