KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainian agricultural exports rose by 16% in August versus July to 4.3 million metric tons, despite difficulties in logistics and Russian attacks on Ukraine’s main export routes, the UCAB agricultural business association said on Tuesday.
The union said the August volume included 2.3 million tons of grain, 755,400 tons of oilseeds, 548,900 tons of vegetable oils and 367,300 tons of various meals.
It said wheat and sunflower oil dominated the volume.
The agriculture ministry said last week Ukraine’s grain exports so far in the 2023/24 July-June season had risen to 4.5 million tons as of September 1, from 3.9 million as of August 31, 2022.
“The Danube river ports remained the most efficient (export) route, accounting for 64% of exports in August,” the association said.
Moscow left the U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain export deal on July 17, saying its demands for sanctions to be eased on Russian grain and fertiliser exports had not been met. Moscow also complained that not enough grain had reached poor countries.
Since then, Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian Black sea ports and river ports on the Danube in what Ukrainian authorities say is an attempt to remove Ukraine from the world grain market.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
