UKRAINE— Thanks to the U.N.-brokered deal that unblocked Ukrainian sea ports, Ukrainian grain is again flowing, and Ukraine’s agricultural exports are likely to rise to about 4 million tonnes in August, from 3 million tonnes in July.
Ukraine’s grain exports have slumped since Russia invaded the country and closed off its Black Sea ports, driving up global food prices and prompting fears of shortages in Africa and the Middle East.
From Feb. 24 to Aug. 15 this year, Ukraine has exported 3.8 million tonnes of corn, 1.4 million tonnes of sunflower seeds, almost 1 million tonnes of sunflower oil and around 640,000 tonnes of wheat, the ministry data showed.
The country, whose food production, according to the government, is capable of feeding up to 400 million people, also exported barley, soy beans and oil, sunflower and soybean meals.
At the end of July three Black Sea ports were unblocked under a deal between Moscow and Kyiv, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.
Under the deal, which was agreed late July, more than 500,000 tons of foodstuffs aboard 25 ships were exported from the country’s major Black Sea ports in the first half of August.
Before the conflict Ukraine exported 6 million tons of grain every moth and according to the agriculture ministry, in the 2022/23 season up to Aug. 19 Ukraine’s grain exports are down 51.6% year on year at 2.99 million tonnes.
Despite hostilities in eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, the country’s 2022 wheat harvest is 91% complete at 17.4 million tonnes, with 25.7 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds harvested so far
While Ukraine’s exports are still far less than what they were before the conflict, the resumption of exports is providing some relief to grain supplies strained by Russia’s invasion and bad weather curbing harvests elsewhere.
Despite hostilities in eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, the country’s 2022 wheat harvest is 91% complete at 17.4 million tonnes, with 25.7 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds harvested so far, Ukraine Grain Association told Reuters.
In 2021, Ukraine harvested a record 86 million tonnes of grain, including 42.1 million tonnes of corn and 32.2 million tonnes of wheat.
The government has said that Ukraine could harvest at least 50 million tonnes of grain this year, compared with a record 86 million tonnes in 2021, because of the loss of land to Russian forces and lower grain yields.
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