December 8, 2022

Ukraine wheat shipments in November 20.2% down month-on-month

Ukrainian grain traders union UGA said wheat exports from the country dropped from 1.98 million tonnes in October 2022 to 1.58 million tonnes in November, a 20.2% decline, Hellenic Shipping News reported.

Ukraine is one of the largest producers and exporters of wheat in the world, but the Russian invasion has significantly reduced its exports.

Three Ukrainian Black Sea ports were unblocked at the end of July as part of a deal between Moscow and Kyiv mediated by the United Nations and Turkey, ending a nearly six-month blockade brought on by the Russian invasion.

The UGA said exporters declared 5 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds for shipment in November, and 2.3 million tonnes were contributed through the grain corridor, 1.2 million tonnes lower compared to October.

The UGA said the drop in exports was because of Russian delays in inspection of vessels in Istanbul.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture said the country has exported nearly 18.3 million tonnes of grain so far in the 2022–23 season, which is a decrease of 29.9% from the 26.1 million tonnes exported at the same point the season before.

More than 6.9 million tonnes of wheat, 9.8 million tonnes of corn, and roughly 1.5 million tonnes of barley were included in the volume.

Because of the loss of land to Russian forces and lower yields, the government has estimated that Ukraine could only harvest about 51 million tonnes of grain this year, down from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021.

-      Hellenic Shipping News