Since the start of the "grain corridor" operation on August 1, 2022, Ukraine has exported 24.4 million tonnes of food products from the ports of Odesa region to the countries of Asia, Europe and Africa.
This issue was discussed during the talks between Deputy Prime Minister for the Reconstruction of Ukraine - Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Oleksandr Kubrakov, Assistant Executive Director of the UN World Food Program Ramiro Lopes da Silva, and Emergency Coordinator for the World Food Programme in Ukraine Matthew Hollingworth, Ukrinform reports, referring to the ministry’s press service.
It is noted that Ukraine exported almost 500,000 tonnes of food products to poor countries in partnership with the UN WFP. The ministry emphasizes that the export figures could have been significantly higher if it were not for Russia's delays in inspections in the Bosphorus. In particular, in February, due to Russian interference with the work of the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul, only 149 inspections were carried out against the planned 296. This situation leads to queues at the entrance to the Bosphorus, which steadily reaches 120-140 vessels.
At the meeting, the parties discussed the implementation and prospects for the continuation of the "grain initiative", the development of alternative logistics routes for agricultural exports as part of the EU "Solidarity Lanes” initiative, opportunities for global business investment in the development of the Danube port cluster and support for Ukrainian farmers.
As reported, Ukraine, the United Nations, and Turkey agreed to extend the initiative for the safe transportation of agricultural products across the Black Sea for another 120 days in Istanbul on November 17, 2022. The initiative was launched on July 22, 2022, and the first ship carrying Ukrainian foodstuffs left the port of Odesa on August 1. The agreement is valid until March 18, 2023.
On March 14, 2023, Turkey announced the continuation of talks to extend the "grain initiative".
Photo: Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry
