October 20, 2006

Ukraine's grain deliveries to Odessa, Kherson ports halted

Ukraine's railway authority Ukrzaliznitsa suspended Oct 15 the transportation of export grain to the Black sea ports of Odessa and Kherson until further notice, the rail authority announced Thursday (Oct 19).

On Oct 10, Ukrzaliznitsa suspended the transportation of export wheat and barley to the sea ports of Ilyichevsk and Yuzhny.

The suspension is being imposed because sea ports are overloaded following the introduction Oct 3 by the Ukrainian government of grain export licensing and the later imposed quota of 1.6 million tonnes on the export of grain until the end of this year.

According to the agriculture ministry, currently some 2 million tonnes of contracted export grain have accumulated in Ukraine with little chance of it being exported in the foreseeable future.