Russia's Rostov and Yeysk ports increase grain shipment

In the current grain year, two shallow-water ports of Russia - Rostov and Yeysk - have increased grain shipment volumes helped by its proximity to main grain producing regions of the country.

The ports also provide exports of both Russian and Kazakh grains.

In the third quarter of 2009, grain shipment volumes of Yeysk sea port increased by 9.9 percent, Rostov port - 75.3 percent. All other southern ports showed negative results: Novorossiysk port lowered grain processing by 12.9 percent, Azov - by 9.9 percent, Tuapse - by 14.6 percent. Rostov port exports grain lots with the average volumes of 5 thousand tonnes to the countries of the Black sea region, at the same time, the variation in FOB prices (the cost with delivery on vessel board) between deep-sea ports reaches the level of US$15 to US$20 per tonne, explained Igor Pavensky, the head of the analytical centre Rusagrotrans. Last year, the variation varied within the range of US$20 to US$25.

To date, grain owners receive more profits from small-sized grain selling, saving money on freight terms, and grain owners started trading through shallow-water ports. Also, Kazakh grain transit caused the growth of the general shipment volumes. In the current year, both Rostov and Yeysk ports provided the modernization of own shipment capacities and started shipping almost the equal volumes of domestic and transit grains.