Ukraine’s grain exports have reached 46 million tonnes so far in the 2021/22 July-June season, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday.

The ministry said the volume included 132,000 tonnes exported in May. It did not give a final figure for April but had exported 763,000 tonnes through April 29.

Senior agriculture officials said last month that:

Ukraine exported up to 6 million tonnes of grain a month before Russia invaded the country. It exported 38.99 million tonnes at this point in the 2020/21 season.

The ministry said the 2021/22 export volumes included:

• 18.53 million tonnes of wheat,
• 21.33 million tonnes of corn and
• 5.68 million tonnes of barley.

May’s exports included:

• 121,000 tonnes of corn,
• 4,000 tonnes of wheat and
• 7,000 tonnes of barley.

The ministry did not clarify how grain was delivered.

Ukraine, a major agricultural producer, used to export most of its goods through seaports but has been forced by Russia’s invasion to export by train via its western border or via its small Danube River ports.

Ukraine has imposed temporary restrictions on the supply of grain cargoes by rail in the direction of Moldova and Romania due to a large number of wagons at border crossings, the APK-Infrom consultancy said on Friday.

After its Black Sea ports were blocked by Russia, Ukraine has been forced to use rail as its main route for exporting grain, which often leads to the accumulation of wagons at border crossings.

Earlier, Kyiv suspended grain exports by rail to Poland.

APK-Inform said restrictions in the direction of Romania began on May 4 and from May 5 in the direction of Moldova and Ukraine’s Danube ports.

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Source: Reuters

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