The Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine Markiyan Dmytrasevych noted on January 31, 2023, that Ukraine has exported 19 million tons of agricultural products through sea ports since the beginning of the “grain agreement” (from August 1, 2022).
Source: The Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine Markiyan Dmytrasevych
“If the capacity of Odesa ports is fully utilized, this figure would be much higher, which would provide opportunities for farmers to finance the sowing and harvesting campaigns of 2023,” clarified the Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food of Ukraine.
The Deputy Minister noted that on average, a little over 3 million tons of agricultural products are exported through the ports of the Odesa region (south of Ukraine) per month, while their capacity is about 6 million tons.
Markiyan Dmytrasevych also said that for the third month in a row, Russia is purposefully blocking the work of the grain initiative. Currently, 117 vessels are waiting for inspection. On average, 2-3 vessels are inspected per day, while in September and October 2022, this figure was 6-7.
“The reasons for Russia’s artificial inhibition of the work of the grain initiative are clear. Such sabotage is a way for the Russian Federation to put pressure on Ukraine economically. After all, agricultural products play a key role for domestic exports, the inflow of foreign exchange earnings into the country, and therefore, the economy of Ukraine in general,” added Markiyan Dmytrasevych.
See also: Ukraine exported 16 million tons of agricultural products thanks to the grain initiative
