Ukraine's August grain exports plunge 60% as Black Sea ports stay blocked

Ukraine's grain exports have fallen sharply this month, with rail and river routes failing to offset the near-total closure of its Black Sea ports. According to state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia, shipments totalled 574,000 metric tons in the first weeks of August — a 60% drop compared with the same period in July.

The volume included 170,000 tons moved to Ukraine's Danube ports and 343,200 tons sent to western border crossings. These routes were expanded after Russian attacks effectively shut the deep-water ports that previously handled about 90% of the country's grain exports.

Yet the alternatives have clear limits. Ukrzaliznytsia says it can move roughly 1 million tons a month to land borders and 500,000 tons to Danube ports. By contrast, the Greater Odesa deep-water ports alone could handle up to 6 million tons monthly.

Agriculture ministry figures show exports of just 539,000 tons from August 1 to 21, versus 1.73 million tons in the same period last year.

Officials say Danube shipments could grow, as they did earlier in the war, but operations are hampered by a shortage of vessels and frequent air-raid alerts. Valeriy Tkachev, deputy head of Ukrzaliznytsia's commercial department, said the railway can deliver 500,000 tons to the Danube, but the key constraint is the regular availability of ships for loading.

Company data showed only nine rail wagons had been unloaded at Danube ports since midnight, as air-raid alerts were in effect for most of that period. At the port of Reni, no grain wagons were unloaded in the past 24 hours because no vessels were available.

Traders and analysts report that up to 70 vessels are waiting near the Danube's Sulina Canal for access to Ukrainian ports, with a shortage of pilots and priority given to other cargoes causing long delays.