Ukraine: Berlin explores alternative grain routes

International

-DW News

Berlin,
Jun
11:
Germany’s
agriculture
minister
met
his
counterpart
Mykola
Solskyi
in
Kyiv
on
Friday
in
a
show
of
solidarity
with
Ukraine
amid
the
ongoing
war.

Cem
Özdemir
said
that,
as
well
as
demonstrating
support
to
Kyiv,
his
ministry
was
exploring
ways
for
grain
and
oilseed
could
be
exported
from
the
country
by
routes
other
than
the
Black
Sea,
which
is
under
a
de
facto
blockade
by
Russia.

Harvest
due
within
weeks

During
a
visit
to
an
agricultural
college
in
the
town
of
Nemishayev,
the
Green
Party
politician
told
DW
there
was
only
one
ultimate
solution,
which
was
an
end
to
the
war.

“That’s
why
we
have
to
support
Ukraine.
My
ministry
is
doing
this
by
supplying
food
and
supporting
Ukrainian
agriculture
—
but
Ukraine
of
course
also
need
the
military
equipment
to
defend
itself
and
to
win.”

“Ukraine
needs
to
be
able
to
quickly
resume
its
long-held
role
as
a
crucial
supplier
of
grain
to
the
global
market.”

Ukraine’s
next
grain
harvest
is
due
within
weeks,
but
with
no
imminent
sign
of
Russia
relenting
in
the
war
it
has
unleashed,
exports
could
be
compromised
and
shortages
in
import-dependent
countries
in
Africa
and
the
Middle
East
could
worsen.

Ukraine
is
the
world’s
fifth
largest
wheat
exporter,
with
a
global
market
share
of
10%
in
recent
years.

Expansion
of
different
routes

The
German
minister
said
talks
had
been
aimed
at
finding
alternative
routes
for
agricultural
exports
in
the
face
of
blocked
ports.
Özdemir
said
he
shared
Ukraine’s
skepticism
that
Russia
would
be
willing
to
allow
corridors
across
the
Black
Sea.

Acknowledging
the
important
role
played
by
Ukraine
in
global
food
security,
Özdemir
said
there
were
solutions,
“but
they
are
second
or
third
best.”

“Alternative
routes
have
become
surprisingly
well
established,
but
they
are
of
course
much
more
expensive
than
shipments
across
the
Black
Sea.
Transport
on
the
Danube,
on
trucks,
or
on
rail
are
increasing,
and
we
want
to
increase
them
further
still
with
the
help
of
the
European
Union.
But
the
prices
are
higher,
and
the
export
routes
longer.”

The
agriculture
minister’s
visit
came
as
Germany
faces
fresh
criticism
over
a
lack
of
clarity
about
when
weapons
to
help
in
its
fight
against
Russia
will
be
delivered.

Responding
to
criticism,
Özdemir
said:
“From
what
I’m
told,
Germany
is
doing
what
it
can,
so
I
assume
that
it
is,
and
I
would
very
much
support
that.”

The
visit
also
came
on
the
same
day
as
a
trip
by
German
Health
Minister
Karl
Lauterbach
to
the
western
city
of
Lviv.

Grain
production
is
one
of
Ukraine’s
main
industries,
with
exports
totaling
$12.2
billion
(€11.6
billion)
in
2021
and
accounting
for
nearly
a
fifth
of
the
country’s
exports.

Before
the
war,
Ukraine
exported
98%
of
its
cereals
and
oilseed
via
the
Black
Sea,
at
a
rate
of
up
to
six
million
metric
tons
per
month.

DW’s
Jan-Philipp
Scholz
contributed
reporting
from
Kyiv.

Source: DW