The World Bank may allocate $200 million to Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) for the development of grain export capacity, Alexander Kamyshin, the head of the board of UZ, announced such a preliminary agreement. “We have tentatively agreed with the World Bank on $200 million in funding for our projects to develop grain export capacity,” he wrote in a telegram on Tuesday following the results of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano (Switzerland).
Earlier, on the sidelines of the conference, Kamyshin clarified to the Interfax-Ukraine agency that Ukrzaliznytsia failed to increase grain exports in June due to existing logistical restrictions.
As reported, Ukraine exported 1.41 million tons of grain crops in June 2022 compared to 1.2 million tons in May. At the same time, exports through the ports before the war of grain crops amounted to 4-5 million tons.
The price of wheat in Ukraine on EXW terms (self-delivery) has reached its minimum values for the month, having decreased by 31.1% over the period from May 23 to June 27 – to UAH 4,500/ton from UAH 5,900/ton, according to an infographic on the website of the consulting agency “Ukragroconsult” on Monday.
Over the same period, the cost of EXW corn decreased by 17.4% – to 4750 UAH/ton from 5750 UAH/ton, and barley – by 29.7% – to 4500 UAH/ton from 6400 UAH/ton.
At the same time, the main drop in prices for grain within the country occurred over the past week: for the period June 20-27, wheat fell in price by 24.4% (from 5600 UAH/ton on June 20), corn – by 15.1% (from 5600 UAH/ton ), barley – by 30.7% (from 6500 UAH / ton).
As reported with reference to the data of the electronic grain exchange GrainTrade, the purchase prices for wheat in Ukraine fell to 5500-6500 UAH / ton with delivery to the mill against the backdrop of blocking the country’s seaports by Russian warships. Additionally, the price reduction was influenced by the introduction of export licensing in March, the abolition of which in July 2022 was announced the day before by First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotsky.
According to the exchange, in anticipation of the harvest of the new crop, agricultural producers are trying to free up granaries, so they are activating wheat sales, thereby increasing pressure on prices for it. Thus, the abolition of licenses will revive exports and stabilize wheat prices.
A manufacturer of grain processing and grain cleaning equipment, Olis LLC (Odesa), has built and put into operation a grain workshop of its production Optimatic K-15 in Poltava region.
“Good news not only for Olis as a manufacturer and supplier of grain processing equipment, but also for the region, where, thanks to a quality grain workshop, there will be no shortage of cereals. After all, local food production is very important today,” the machine-building company wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
According to it, Optimatik K-15 is an aggregate universal grain mill designed for production of wheat, barley, pearl barley, peas, corn and millet.
A unit with a rated power of 30 kW/h can process 400-600 kg of millet, pearl barley or corn, or 700-800 kg of wheat, barley or peas per hour.
As reported, Olis resumed the work of its plant in Odesa region at the end of March and resumed the manufacture of equipment under new and previously concluded contracts.
Olis produces about 200 items of equipment for the grain processing industry. The enterprise is able to produce grain cleaning complexes, mills and grain workshops from the stage of technology development to commissioning of facilities.
The company’s products are exported to more than 25 countries around the world.
Whole Europe must unite its efforts and act boldly in order to solve the problem of safe transportation and shipment or Ukrainian grain, Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi has said.
“We must do everything possible to not let the situation become dramatic… To avoid… a serious crisis, we must ensure safe transportation of grain. This must not cause a global disaster. For this we must focus on how to organize grain transportation through the Black Sea. Russia, unfortunately, does not make advances. We must fight against this problem bravely and boldly, just like President Zelensky. And we, the Europeans, must act together,” Draghi said during a press conference following a meeting of the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, and Romania in Kyiv on Thursday.
He added that there is some time to solve this problem as “the harvest will be ready mainly in September.”
The United States intends to build granaries in Poland on the border with Ukraine to facilitate the export of Ukrainian grain to Europe by rail, US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday.
“We are going to build temporary granaries on the border with Ukraine – in Poland,” he said during a speech broadcast by the White House on Tuesday.
Biden noted that this plan, if implemented, would allow exporting grain from Ukraine to Europe, and from there to other parts of the world. He said that he is currently “working closely with European partners to release 20 million tons of wheat from Ukraine to world markets.”
The US President also acknowledged that the plan “will take time” to implement.
Ankara is awaiting a response from Moscow on organizing a possible meeting between Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the UN to discuss the issue of exporting grain from Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Saturday.
“Our position was stated very clearly. We are awaiting a response from the Russian side, both on the issue of holding the meeting and other details,” the Anadolu agency quotes him as saying.
“We stressed the Turkish side’s readiness to organize a quadripartite meeting in the UN-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia format. This is ultimately a UN initiative,” the minister said.
Cavusoglu said that during talks this week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, he explained that the UN plan to transport grain from Ukraine by sea is the best.
Earlier this week, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that Ankara considers the UN plan to export grain from Ukraine feasible. He noted that discussions are underway on the creation of a “grain corridor” mechanism in the Black Sea with the participation of the UN, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.
