First train carrying Ukrainian grain arrives in Rostock, Germany - media

MOSCOW. Aug 24 (Interfax) - A trial train of 21 cars carrying 1,200 tonnes of feed corn has arrived in the German port of Rostock, and three more trains loaded with Ukrainian corn will be arriving in Germany shortly, the Ukrainian media said with the reference to the website of the German media outlet NRD.

The website said that it took the train eight days to arrive in Rostock, including the period for loading the agricultural produce on narrow-gauge cars on the Ukrainian-Polish border, after which DB Cargo brought the cargo to Rostock. The grain was placed into port granaries. NRD said that last harvest's grain was in good condition.

According to the report, BAT Agrar based in Ratzeburg (Germany) is coordinating the arrival of trains. It is so far unknown where the grain will be shipped from Rostock.

In April, the German company Deutche Bahn and its logistic subsidiary DB Cargo started to reroute Ukrainian grain exports to railroads from the traditional route via Ukrainian seaports, which were blocked at the time.

Michael Theurer. Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Digital and Transport, said that Germany was due to ensure the transportation of 20 million tonnes of grain from Ukraine to avert famine on the planet.