Ukraine: 2021/22 July-June grain exports reach 45.709 mln tonnes

Ukraine's grain exports have reached 45.709 million tonnes so far in the 2021/22 July-June season, the agriculture ministry said on April 29 as it resumed publishing grain export data.

The ministry said the volume included 763,000 tonnes exported in April but gave no comparative figures. Senior agriculture officials said this month that Ukraine exported up 300,000 tonnes of grain in March.

Ukraine exported up to 6 million tonnes of grain a month before Russia invaded the country.

"We have already agreed with Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Bulgaria, Romania and in parallel we are actively negotiating the use of port infrastructure of these countries for the export of Ukrainian products," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told a televised government meeting.

The ministry said the 2021/22 export volumes included 18.5 million tonnes of wheat, 21.1 million tonnes of corn and 5.7 million tonnes of barley.

April's exports included 115,000 tonnes of wheat, 622,000 tonnes of corn and 25,000 tonnes of barley.

The ministry did not clarify how grain was delivered.

Ukraine, a major agricultural producer, used to export most of its goods through seaports but has been forced by Russia's invasion to export by train via its western border or via its small Danube river ports.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday Ukraine and Bulgaria had reached an agreement on transporting Ukrainian grain via the Bulgarian port of Varna.

Agriculture and transport officials have said Ukraine aims to boost export capacity at Danube river ports, which would allow grain to be shipped to Romanian Black Sea ports.

A cargo carrying more than 71,000 tonnes of Ukrainian corn finished loading in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta on Thursday, the first since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, port operator Comvex's manager said.

30 April, 2022