Despite the resumption of grain exports via Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the EU wants to stick to its initiative for alternative freight routes.
Since it will be difficult to bring the export volume via the Black Sea ports back to the pre-war level immediately, other transport routes remain of crucial importance, said an official of the responsible EU Commission at the request of the German Press Agency. Every exported ton counts and by increasing the capacity and flexibility of the European transport system, one can help to secure the food supply in poor partner countries.
European Commissioner Adina Vălean, responsible for the transport sector, said: "There is still room for improvement." There are not enough freight wagons and barges and more capacity is needed for the temporary storage of Ukrainian exports. Any kind of help is welcome.
Blockades by Russia threaten food markets worldwide
The EU is committed to facilitating agricultural exports from Ukraine because blockades caused by Russia's war of aggression are having a major impact on global food markets and threatening food security in countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. According to the commission, until the start of the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine was the world's top exporter of sunflower oil, the third-biggest exporter of rapeseed and barley, the fourth-biggest exporter of corn and the fifth-biggest exporter of wheat.
EU is looking for alternative logistic routes
Agricultural exports via the Ukrainian Black Sea ports had recently been blocked for months because of the Russian war of aggression. In spring, the EU Commission therefore launched an initiative to develop alternative logistics routes via countries of the European Union. It contributed to the fact that around 2.6 million tons of agricultural products were able to leave Ukraine in July - after only around 1.34 million tons in April. According to the Brussels authorities, transport routes to ports in Romania and Poland in particular were heavily used.
Hope for deal between Turkey and UN
However, the greatest hopes are currently pinning on an agreement brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, which should enable regular Ukrainian agricultural exports to be resumed via the Black Sea. According to EU figures, around 90 percent of grain and oilseed exports went through the Ukrainian Black Sea ports before the war - up to five million tons per month for grain.
Nevertheless, it is unlikely that this level will be reached again in the foreseeable future. The first ship to leave the port of Odessa under the UN deal earlier this week had just loaded around 26,000 tons of corn.
