5 More Vessels Depart From Ukrainian Ports Through Grain Corridor

Ukraine has exported the next shipment of 122,300 tons of grain from Odesa ports to Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Five ships with 122,300 tons of agricultural products left the ports of greater Odesa on Oct. 17 for various countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe, according to Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry.

Among the ships are the bulkers New Liberty, which will deliver 25,000 tons of wheat to Kenya, and Chola Treasure, which will deliver 61.8 thousand tons of rapeseed to Pakistan.

The shipment is part of the Initiative for Safe Transportation of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports, also known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement between Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations to unblock Ukrainian ports in Odesa for grain export. The agreement was signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022.

Since the beginning of the implementation of the “Grain Initiative,” 350 ships with 7.8 million tons of agricultural products have left the ports of greater Odesa for the countries of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Before the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian export-oriented agricultural sector was developing dynamically, providing currency inflow into the country, which supported the hryvnia exchange rate at a stable level. The export potential was based on the developed port infrastructure.

In the 2021/22 marketing year (July – June), Ukraine exported 61.52 million tons of grain and oil crops worth 22.2 billion dollars. The export of agricultural products in Ukraine has increased in recent years. Its share in total exports exceeded 40% before the war started, the Ministry of the Economy reported.

Ukraine is one of the leaders in the supply of wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, and oil. The Ukrainian share in the global grain export alone amounted to 10% in 2020-21 and 14% in 2021-22.

According to the UN World Food Program data, the main importers of Ukrainian wheat and corn in 2020 were Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Turkey. The population of just these five countries reaches 700 million people.