ISTANBUL (AP) — Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn left Ukrainian ports Friday and traveled through mined waters toward inspection of their delayed cargo, a sign that an international agreement to export grain remained since Russia invaded Ukraine progressed slowly. But there are major obstacles to getting food to the countries that need it most.
The ships bound for Ireland, the United Kingdom and Turkey follow the first shipment of grain to pass through the Black Sea since the start of the war. The ship’s passage to Lebanon earlier this week was the first under the advance agreement negotiated by Turkey and the United Nations with Russia and Ukraine.
The first ships to leave are among more than a dozen bulk carriers and cargo ships loaded months ago but stalled in ports since Russia invaded in late February. While the restarted shipments have raised hopes of easing a global food crisis, much of the burden of securing food is for animal feed, not people, experts say.
The Black Sea region is called the breadbasket of the world, with Ukraine and Russia the world’s main suppliers of the wheat, corn, barley and sunflower oil that millions of impoverished people in Africa, the Middle East and parts of Africa depend on for their survival. from Asia
However, the initial shipments are not expected to have a significant impact on the overall price of corn, wheat and soybeans. For starters, exports from the deal have gotten off to a slow and cautious start due to the threat of explosive mines floating off Ukraine’s Black Sea coast.
And while Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat to developing countries, there are other countries, such as the United States and Canada, with much larger production levels that can affect world wheat prices. And they face the threat of drought.
“Ukraine is about 10 percent of international wheat trade, but in terms of production it’s not even 5 percent,” said David Laborde, an agriculture and trade expert at the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington.
The three ships that left on Friday were escorted by Ukrainian pilot boats for safe passage due to explosive mines scattered in the Black Sea. The ships left with more than 58,000 tons of corn, but that’s still a fraction of the 20 million tons of grain that Ukraine says are stuck in the country’s silos and ports and must be sent to make space for this year’s harvest.
About 6 million tons of the trapped grain is wheat, but only half is for human consumption, Laborde said.
Ukraine is expected to produce 30% to 40% less grain over the next 12 months due to the war, although other estimates put the figure at 70%.
Grain prices peaked after the Russian invasion, and while some have fallen to their pre-war levels, they are still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Corn prices are 70% higher than at the end of February 2020, said Jonathan Haines, senior analyst at data and analytics firm Gro Intelligence. He said wheat prices are about 60% higher than in February 2020.
One of the reasons why prices remain high is the impact of drought on crops in North America, China and other regions, as well as the higher price of fertilizers needed for agriculture.
“When fertilizer prices are high, farmers can use less fertilizer. And when they use less fertilizer, they will produce less. And if they produce less, the supply will remain insufficient,” Laborde said.
The three ships that left Ukraine on Friday offer hope that exports will increase to developing countries, where many face the growing threat of food shortages and hunger.
“The movement of three additional ships overnight is a very positive sign and will continue to build confidence that we are moving in the right direction,” Haines said. “If Ukraine’s grain flow continues to expand, it will help ease global supply constraints.”
The Turkish-flagged Polarnet, carrying 12,000 tons of corn, left the port of Chornomorsk bound for Karasu, Turkey. The Panamanian-flagged Navi Star left the port of Odesa for Ireland with 33,000 tons of corn. The Maltese-flagged Rojen left Chornomorsk for the UK with more than 13,000 tonnes of maize, the UN said.
He added that the Joint Coordination Center, led by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UN overseeing the deal signed in Istanbul last month, cleared the three ships and inspected one ship bound for Ukraine . The Barbados-flagged Fulmar S was inspected in Istanbul and is on its way to the port of Chornomorsk.
The controls are intended to ensure that outgoing cargo ships carry only grain, fertilizer or food and no other goods, and that incoming ships do not carry weapons.
After Turkey helped broker the food deal two weeks ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia on Friday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the meeting would allow Putin and Erdogan to review the implementation of the grain deal and discuss prospects for talks to end the fighting in Ukraine.
In other developments on Friday, Ukraine’s presidential office said at least eight civilians were killed and 16 others wounded in the latest Russian airstrikes.
The eastern region of Donetsk has faced the heaviest Russian shelling for weeks. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko repeated his call for all residents to evacuate.
“Bombings and bombings are taking place 24 hours a day, and people who refuse to evacuate risk dying on their pillows,” Kyrylenko said in televised remarks.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, three districts have been subjected to massive shelling. Several residential buildings and a street market were damaged and three people were injured.
Russian bombing also hit the city of Zaporizhzhia and several front-line towns in the region. For the second day in a row, the Russians also bombed the city of Nikopol which faces the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant across the Dnieper River. Dozens of houses were damaged.
The Russians also hit the southern city of Mykolaiv. The regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, said Russian forces opened fire on the town after lunchtime, causing extensive damage, killing an unspecified number of people and wounding at least nine. He said the fire came from the direction of Kherson, the Russian-occupied city about 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the southeast.
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Batrawy reported from Dubai.