Ukraine exports 600,000 T grain via Romania Feb 1-15, Kyiv says

Ukraine shipped 600,000 metric tons of grain via Romania to Europe in the first half of February, its agriculture ministry said on Wednesday, keeping the same pace of grain transit through Romania as in January.

Romanian sea ports have become the main route for Ukrainian food exports after Russia blocked key ports on the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea. Ukraine also supplies food products to southern European countries by rail via Romania.

The Ukrainian ministry said about 1.1 million tons of grain were shipped for transit via Romania in January.

“Ukraine has not exported grain to Romania since the summer of 2023, after restrictions were imposed at the EU level. Grain crops transit through Romania,” the ministry said.

Ukrainian grain supplies to European countries became one of the reasons for mass protests by farmers in neighbouring countries, particularly in Poland.

Warsaw has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv in its fight to repel a full-scale Russian invasion launched in 2022, but protests from farmers complaining of unfair competition have strained ties that were already on edge after truckers blocked border crossings around the turn of the year.

The protests escalated on Tuesday, with a near-total blockade of all Ukrainian border crossings and disruption at ports and on roads nationwide.

Ukraine says its agricultural exports through eastern Europe have not damaged EU markets and called on the European Commission to take robust action after demonstrators blockaded the border and opened railway carriages to let grain spill out.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)