20 April, 2023 at 06:04
Given Ukraine's large grain production, the optimal transportation mode was shipments through deepwater ports with these ports’ share in total exports being at about 98% before the full-scale war. All other transport modes (railway and trucks) severely limited Ukraine's export, outcoming in high carry-over stocks and underfunding farmers. However, to guarantee financing of the field works, farmers and exporters also used other modes of transport to move grain stocks out of the country.
Recently, farmers from Central and Eastern European countries bordering Ukraine were unsatisfied with their financial losses as grain flows from Ukraine were more competitive compared to grain of local production.
The issue how much of the grain was transited thru above countries and how much of Ukrainian grains were left there appeared to be the most challenging under these circumstances.