Ukrainian seaports ready to increase grain export shipping capacity

MOSCOW. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Ukrainian seaports are not loaded to their full capacity and are able to expand their capacity for grain shipping, Ukrainian media reported, citing head of the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority Yury Litvin as saying at a meeting of the Ukrainian Grain Association's Grain Club.

The figures for "grain exports" in January 2024 are slightly lower than in the previous month, Litvin said. However, January is a month of traditional decline in sea shipping. At the same time, he noted a surge in the delivery of grain shipments to the Greater Odessa ports by both rail and trucks.

"Currently, the Chernomorsk port has increased the acceptance of vehicles five times compared to the pre-crisis period. However, unfortunately, bulk cargo is not very good for the Chernomorsk [port] itself. There are some difficulties with organizing the process there," Litvin said.

Speaking about the operations of the Yuzhny port, Litvin noted that it is used at 30%-48% of its capacity to handle grain shipments.

When asked about the future of the port in Nikolayev, Litvin noted that his authority pays a lot of attention to its future and is in constant consultation with the military, who said, "It is impossible to unblock the port of Nikolayev due to security issues."