25 Million Tons of Grains Blocked From Export From Ukraine: UN Food Agency

A Palestinian worker holds wheat grains at traditional a wheat mill, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 21, 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine could mean less bread on the table for many countries where millions are already struggling to survive. Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images

A huge backlog of grain shipments totaling nearly 25 million tons is stranded in Ukraine, unable to be transported out of the country owing to “infrastructure challenges” and blocked ports in the Black Sea, according to a U.N. food agency official.

The blocked shipment of grains could be further exacerbating high food prices across the globe, which rose at their fastest pace on record in March, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), rising 13 percent over the month to 159.3 points, an all-time high.