In August, Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea resumed. DW has collected answers to top questions about grain exports during the war between Russia and Ukraine.

What role does Ukraine play in global food security?

Ukraine is one of the most important grain producers in the world. The country mainly grows and exports wheat, corn and barley. According to the European Commission, Ukraine represents 10% of the world market for wheat, 15% for maize and 13% for barley. It is also the most important player in the sunflower oil market. Ukrainian sunflower oil represents more than 50% of the world market.

Corn and wheat are the most cultivated cereals in the world. If Ukraine disappears from several of its exporters, it could have serious consequences for global food security.

Who is the biggest producer of wheat, corn and barley?

According to statistics from the US Department of Agriculture, in 2021-2022 Ukraine ranked seventh in the world in wheat production – 33 million tons. Australia, USA, Russia, India, China were ahead. First is the EU, if we take into account the total wheat production in all EU member states.

In terms of maize production, Ukraine ranks sixth. More corn from mid-2021 to mid-2022 was grown in Argentina, EU, Brazil, China, and more than others in the United States. Ukraine ranks fourth in the world in terms of barley production. It is just ahead of Australia, Russia and the EU, which is in first place in barley production.

Who buys grain from Ukraine?

The largest wheat importers in 2020, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), are: Egypt (US$ 5.2 billion), China (US$ 3.47 billion), Turkey (US$ 2.44 billion), Nigeria (US$2.15 billion) and Indonesia (US$2.08 billion). dollars). Egypt was Ukraine’s biggest wheat buyer.

For corn, the top importers in 2018 were Mexico ($3.14 billion), Japan ($2.94 billion), South Korea ($1.92 billion), Vietnam ($1.85 billion ) and Spain (US$ 1.72 billion). More relevant ECO data are not yet available. The main corn buyers from Ukraine were the Netherlands, Spain and China.

The top countries that bought barley in 2020 were China ($1.77 billion), Saudi Arabia ($1.38 billion), the Netherlands ($512 million), Belgium ($369 million) and Germany ($369 million). 307 million). The biggest consumer of Ukrainian barley was China.

How does Russia’s war against Ukraine affect the global grain market?

Grain deliveries have been halted due to Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports. This raised fears of a food crisis across the world and led to a sharp rise in prices. In mid-May, export prices for wheat and corn reached unprecedented levels. According to the UN, this threatened serious consequences for countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where the situation with the supply of food to the population has been significantly worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, however, the grain market has stabilized. So, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), despite the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, the global grain harvest this year is likely to be only slightly smaller than in 2021. opened up after the agreement between Kyiv and Moscow on the export of Ukrainian grain gave hope for their uninterrupted export.

What does the “grain deal” between Ukraine and Russia mean?

On July 22, in Istanbul, through the mediation of the UN and Turkey, an agreement was signed between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the aim of which is to end the blockade of Ukrainian ports for grain exports. Under this agreement, 20-25 million tonnes of grain, currently blocked in Ukraine, can finally be exported. In particular, the agreement provides for the creation of safe corridors in the Black Sea from the coast of Ukraine to the Bosphorus. Ships in these corridors and their respective ports cannot be attacked. Grain exports are monitored at a coordination center in Istanbul. Representatives from Russia, Ukraine and Turkey work under the leadership of the UN. Export is provided from three Ukrainian ports – Odessa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny.

On August 1, the first dry cargo ship with Ukrainian grain left Odessa, two days later it was checked in Istanbul and headed for Lebanon. On 5 August, the Turkish Ministry of Defense reported that three more ships carrying Ukrainian grain had gone to sea – the dry cargo ships Polarnet and Rojen stationed in Chornomorsk headed respectively to Karasu (Turkey) and British Teesport, and Navistar left the port of Odessa with maize destined for landing in Ireland. In total, there are more than 58,000 tons of corn on board these ships.