The “slowing pace” of inspections and the “exclusion” of one Ukrainian port from the Black Sea Grain Initiative have led to a drop in the supply of essential foodstuffs to global markets.
This is according to the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres who said that food exports have dropped to the lowest volume since the grain deal began last year.
The current grain deal between the UN, Russia and Turkey to allow Ukraine export grain from several of its Black Sea ports, after the most recent extension last month, will expire on July 17.
The “exclusion” of the Yuzhny/Pivdennyi port, halted by the conflict, together with slow inspections, led to a reduction in inbound and outbound vessel movements from Ukraine’s sea ports, the UN said.
Food exports through the corridor have dropped significantly from a peak of 4.2 million tonnes in October 2022 to 1.3 million tonnes in May, according to the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC).
Vessel movements
To date over 32 million tonnes of grain, mainly corn and wheat accounting for 51% and 27% respectively, have left Ukraine under the deal since it was agreed in July 2022.
China has been the main destination for cargo exports of Ukrainian grain at 7.7 million tonnes, followed by Spain at 5.9 million tonnes and Turkey at 3.2 million tonnes.
The last vessel leaving the port of Yuzhny/Pivdennyi departed on May 11, carrying 30,450t of corn bound for Egypt. The shipment was inspected five days later on May 16.
So far this week only one vessel left a Ukrainian port under the grain deal. On Monday (June 19), 63,000t of wheat left Chornomorsk bound for Egypt. The shipment is yet to be inspected.
In total eight shipments, including the 63,000 of wheat to Egypt, that have left the ports of Chornomorsk and Odesa over the past week have not been inspected to date.
Black Sea Grain Initiative
Guterres has called on all parties to accelerate operations and urged them to do their “utmost” to ensure the continuation of the agreement, a spokesperson for the secretary-general said.
The UN supports the implementation of the deal and the “Memorandum of Understanding” between the UN and Russia to facilitate the unimpeded export of Russian food and fertiliser to global markets.
This is “especially critical” now as the new grain harvest begins in both Ukraine and Russia, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, Farhan Haq said.