GRAIN is able to make its way out of Ukraine but given the logistical constraints it is more a case of owners of large parcels of grain stranded in the war-torn nation being evacuated by owners rather than a concerted export push.
This was the opinion of the leader of the Ukrainian Grains Association Mykola Gorbachov, speaking at the Australian Grains Industry Conference, who won a rousing standing ovation at the end of his speech.
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Mr Gorbachev said with concerns over the recently signed treaty to allow Ukrainian grain to be moved out of Black Sea ports and onto the world market and logistical issues preventing large volumes moving west into Europe it would only be large grain businesses that wanted to move grain assets out of the country that would take the expensive option of moving the grain.
"The cost of moving grain has risen massively with the start of the conflict, the farmers with their recently harvested grain do not want to sell as the transport costs are too high," he said.
"There is optimism in some quarters about the recent deal to move grain but it is very high risk and the neighbouring European nations just simply do not have the supply chain to handle the volume of grain necessary.
"It took Ukraine 25 years after independence to build the supply chain necessary to get the grain out of the Black Sea it is not reasonable to expect our neighbours to do it in six months."
Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
