An increase in the harvest in Romania will be a problem for the transit of Ukrainian grain – mass media

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An increase in the grain harvest in Romania this year may limit Ukrainian supplies through the Black Sea port of Constanta.

This was announced by the port operator Comvex, reports Reuters.

Even after the “grain agreement” signed at the end of July last year, mediated by the UN and Turkey, thanks to which Ukraine gained access to three Black Sea ports, Romanian Constanta remains its largest alternative shipping route.

The agreement with the UN expires on May 18, and its extension has not yet been agreed upon.

Constanta handles almost a third of Ukraine’s grain exports since the Russian invasion, Comvex reports. 8.6 million tons were shipped through the port in 2022 and 3.3 million tons in the first quarter of this year.

“The new crops in Romania seem to be larger than last year, which means that there may be less space for Ukrainians. Operators will not harm their traditional customers,” Comvex manager Viorel Panayt told the agency. Panait, who is also president of the Constanța port business association, said better management of truck traffic and congestion at the port could help in the absence of new capacity.

The port of Constanta exported a total of 24.01 million tons of grain last year.

Romania, one of the EU’s biggest grain producers, will harvest 10.35 million tonnes of wheat this year, a sharp increase from last year, as agricultural belts recover from drought, according to consultancy Agritel.

AGRIColumn analyst Cesar Gheorghe said he expects production of winter crops in Romania, including wheat, to exceed the five-year average, and that Constanta needs investment and a unified IT system to deal with congestion.

Shipping through Constanta was cheaper than through Ukraine’s own ports under the Safe Passage Agreement, as long inspection lines in Istanbul added to costs.

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