After Russia took control of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports to a large extent, its grain ships were stranded in Kyiv and started to send grain to world markets from the neighboring Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta.
Due to the blockade imposed by Russia on Ukrainian ports, Ukrainian manufacturers continue to seek alternatives to transport their cargo. Ukrainian grain is now loaded on trains and trucks to the ports of Reni and Izmail on the Danube and from there to Constanta by barges. According to the French AFP Agency, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has turned Constanta into a vital maritime export hub for Ukraine’s crops.
Before the war, Ukraine was exporting 4.5 million tons of agricultural products per month from its ports. 12 percent of the world’s wheat, 15 percent of corn and 50 percent of sunflower oil went from Ukraine.
Viorel Panait, CEO of Comvex, which works on bulk raw materials in Constanta, said: “To avoid the risk of shortages, we must make sure that the grain reaches the consumers’ tables without delay. We hope to increase the speed.”
“Given the unfortunate plight of our Ukrainian neighbors, we must help them as much as we can,” he added…