JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” (UZ) for the period from August 1 to 23, 2022 exported 1.16 million tons of grain cargo, which is 28% more than in July (917 thousand tons), including through land border crossings 549 thousand tons were transported on the western border (in July – 716 thousand tons), and 467 thousand tons were delivered to the ports (last month – 190 thousand tons).
For 23 days of August, Ukrzaliznytsia loaded 1.16 million tons of grain cargo into wagons, which is 17% of the total loaded volume of 6.9 million tons, such data were announced by Valery Tkachev, Deputy Director of the Department of Commercial Work of UZ, during an online meeting with participants industry on Thursday.
“In March, we had 41.6 thousand tons in export traffic, in July – 917 thousand tons, and for 23 days of August we already have 1.16 million tons. Congratulations to everyone, I already see that we are gradually increasing the volumes transportation, but this is still not enough. Let me remind you that before the war we transported up to 4 million tons in export traffic per month,” Tkachev said during the meeting.
He explained that such an increase in exports to Ukraine was ensured by the Istanbul grain agreements, which unblocked the export of grain cargo from three seaports in the Odessa region in August.
“The share of grain both in terms of loading, and in the delivery of wagons, and in joints is growing. This indicates that farmers quickly adapt to the military situation and begin to load and transport more,” the deputy director commented on the increase in the share of grain cargo to 17% in August from 14% in July.
According to him, for August 1-23, the average daily loading of UZ wagons amounted to 50.2 thousand tons, while earlier this figure was 39-47 thousand tons.
According to Tkachev, since the beginning of August, Ukrzaliznytsia has exported 71,000 tons of sunflower oil, as well as 78,000 tons of cakes and meals of all kinds.
The Deputy Director specified that by August 23, the average daily handling of all types of wagons at border crossings had dipped slightly – to 1.84 thousand wagons from 1.86 thousand wagons in early August, however, the transfer of wagons for grain increased by 12% – to 444 wagons per day against 390 wagons at the beginning of the month.
The UZ representative clarified that the total queue at the crossings as of August 23 amounted to 27.1 thousand cars of all nomenclatures, while at the beginning of the month it was 14% more – 31.5 thousand cars. At the same time, by August 23, there were 8.7 thousand wagons with grain (-12% against the beginning of the month) and 506 wagons with vegetable oil (-41%) in the queue.
“In general, the transfer of wagons at the joints is increasing, the queues with grain are decreasing, while we still have a difficult situation at the Romanian border crossings (Vadul-Siret – Dyakovo), at the Polish border crossing Yagodyn-Dorohusk, where business has actively gone, and the difficult situation remains at Batevo – Epereshke,” Tkachev summed up during the meeting.
