Ukraine's exports of agricultural products as part of 'grain initiative' reach nine mln tonnes - Infrastructure Ministry

MOSCOW. Oct 27 (Interfax) - Another seven ships on Thursday have departed the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk and Yuzhny with 102,000 tonnes of agricultural products for African, Asian, and European countries, Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry posted on its Telegram channel.

"Specifically among them is the Stella GS bulk carrier with 30,600 tonnes of corn for Tunisia," the ministry said.

A total of nine million tonnes of agricultural products have been exported since the launch of the "grain initiative", with the number of ships departing Ukrainian ports for Asian, European, and African countries with foodstuffs having reached 397, the ministry added.

The United Nations, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine on July 22 participated in signing a document in Istanbul on establishing a corridor for exporting grain from the three Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odessa, and Yuzhny.

Exports since start of 2022/2023 marketing year

Ukraine exported 12.19 million tonnes of grain from the start of the 2022/2023 marketing year to October 26, Ukrainian media reported, citing data published on the website of the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry.

This included 6.48 million tonnes of corn, or 53.1% of the total, 4.62 million tonnes of wheat, or 37.9%, and 1.04 million tonnes of barley, 8.5%.

The grain exports were down 33% from 18.19 million tonnes in the same period of the last marketing year.

According to the ministry's data, Ukraine exported 4.62 million tonnes of wheat so far this MY, down 60.5% from a year ago; 1.04 million tonnes of barley, down 75.2%; 6,200 tonnes of rye, down 88.6%; and 34,300 tonnes of flour, down 19.7%. Corn exports were up 3.24-fold at 6.48 million tonnes.

In general, 3.49 million tonnes of grain has been exported since the start of October, 660,000 tonnes of it in the week October 21-26, including 1.58 million tonnes and 260,000 tonnes of wheat, 1.63 million tonnes and 31,000 tonnes of corn, 267,000 tonnes and 91,000 tonnes of barley, 9,700 tonnes and 2,200 tonnes of flour and 1,900 tonnes of rye

On average 132,000 tonnes of grain was supplied to the external markets daily over the five days on October 21-26, against 141,500 tonnes a day on October 1-21, 267,500 tonnes a day, a record since the start of the crisis, on September 26-30, 126,000 tonnes a day on September 21-26, and 132,500 tonnes a day on September 9-21. Thus, the average daily exports in October 21-26 decreased by 6.7% from the previous period, October 1-21.

According to earlier reports, Ukraine exported 48.51 million tonnes of grain and pulses in the 2021/2022 marketing year, which is a 8.4% increase from the previous marketing year, despite problems with the export of agriproducts due to the blockade of Ukrainian seaports. A total of 18.74 million tonnes of wheat was supplied to external markets, a 12.6% increase from the 2020/2021 MY; 23.54 million tonnes of corn, up 1.9%; 5.75 million tonnes of barley, up 35.9%; and 70,900 tonnes of flour, a decrease of 44,1%.

The country exported 44.72 million tonnes of grain and pulses in the 2020/2021 marketing year: 16.64 million tonnes of wheat, 23.08 million tonnes of corn, 4.23 million tonnes of barley, 126,900 tonnes of flour, and 18,400 tonnes of rye.

Ukraine exported 56.72 million tonnes of grain and grain legumes in the 2019/2020 marketing year.