Turkey and Ukraine reported that two additional ships carrying maize and soybeans sailed from Ukrainian Black Sea ports on Monday, bringing the total number of ships to 10 since the first ship went last week as part of an agreement with Russia to open Ukrainian grain exports.
The deal was mediated by the United Nations and Turkey last month following fears that the interruption of grain shipments brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may trigger catastrophic food shortages and even famine breakouts in some areas of the world.
According to the Turkish defence ministry, the Arizona, which left Chornomorsk, is transporting 48,458 tonnes of corn to Iskenderun in southern Turkey, and the Sacura, which left Pivdennyi, is transporting 11,000 tonnes of soybeans to Italy.
Separately, the first shipment since the exports were resumed was completed when the Polarnet, which left on Friday, arrived at its ultimate location in Derince in northwest Turkey on Monday morning to be unloaded.
According to information obtained by Reuters from the Turkish defence ministry, since the first departure on August 1 approximately 243,000 tonnes of corn had been shipped from Ukraine aboard seven ships.
45,000 tonnes of sunflower meal, 6,000 tonnes of sunflower oil, and 11,000 tonnes of soybeans were transported by the other ships.
Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure, said the two most recent ships left on Monday and that Pivdennyi, the third port included in the agreement, was now operational as part of the plan.
The opening of Pivdennyi, according to Kubrakov, will increase Ukraine’s monthly export capacity to three million tonnes.
Up to six million tonnes of grain were exported from Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts each month during times of peace.
According to Turkey’s defence ministry, the four ships that departed Ukraine on Sunday are anticipated to anchor close to Istanbul on Monday evening. They will also be inspected on Tuesday.
Together, the two nations supplied about a third of the world’s wheat exports prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for what it terms its ‘special military operation.’
A Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, which is staffed by Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, and U.N. personnel, is in charge of overseeing the restart of grain exports.
According to Refinitiv ship tracker information, the Razoni, which was the first ship to depart, is currently anchored off Turkey’s southern coast and was supposed to arrive in Lebanon on Sunday.
The Fulmar S, the first foreign-flagged bulk ship to arrive in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk since the conflict, was ready for loading, according to the Infrastructure Ministry of Ukraine on Sunday.
Refinitiv data also revealed that the Osprey S, a second ship heading to Ukraine, had undergone inspection in Istanbul on Sunday and was getting close to Ukraine on Monday morning.
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