In Ukraine, Kherson looks to the future after the end of the bombing. The war has sown death and destruction. And now the region’s farmers want to go back to work the fields, they find the mined fields, the destroyed farms and the broken machinery.
Fields must be plowed, but where battles were fought lie unexploded shells
Thousands of hectares await the planting of the cereal to feed millions of people. But shells are hidden underground, and plowers keep finding unexploded ordnance after the soldiers have left.
This farm is a field full of dangers. 250 hectares of land have already been inspected and projectiles continue to appear.
Farmers need help to clear land
“We tried to do it on our own, with the help of sappers. We found about 300 shells that were removed and detonated,” explains Andrii Litvinov, a Ukrainian farmer.
More than two million hectares of agricultural land must be inspected for explosives
Some two and a half million hectares of agricultural land still need to be inspected. 800,000 hectares have priority to start spring sowing. But massive demining requires special equipment, so the country will need international help.
Massive demining requires special equipment and international help
In addition, the agricultural machinery is in poor condition. Tractor repair parts are not readily available.
“Since I was a child I dreamed of being a tractor driver. So I started. I like it. If the fields weren’t mined, I would have done well. I would have hurried, of course. I’m used to it. I want to go back to work in the fields,” says Artem, driver of tractors.
In Kherson they hope to be able to sow about 30% of the agricultural land
In Kherson they hope to be able to sow 30% of the agricultural land of the liberated territories on the right bank of the Dnipro river. It’s not enough, but it’s a hopeful start.
Source: Euronews Español