News

Ukrainian farmers and grain exports hit hard by Russian blockade of Black Sea ports

agroconf1 — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:17:58 +0000

17.08.2026

Ukraine is urgently seeking solutions as Russia’s blockade of Odesa ports chokes grain exports at the peak of the harvest, despite efforts to scale up alternative routes.

In the first 12 days of August, Ukraine exported only 590,000 tonnes of grain, about 30% of the needed volume, Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi told journalists on Friday.

Turkey Resumes Black Sea Ship Transits Via Straits After Delays

agroconf1 — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:14:32 +0000

10.08.2026

Turkey resumed allowing ships to transit its straits on the way to the Black Sea, following unexplained delays for some vessels amid heightened security risks in the area.

Crude oil tanker Aegean Dream entered the Dardanelles Strait on Sunday after waiting in the area since Thursday, and was signaling its destination as the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in Russia’s Novorossiysk, according to ship tracking data. Container vessel Mehmet Kahveci A also passed through the waterway early Sunday signaling Novorossiysk.

Ukraine Is Already Part of Europe’s Agricultural Security Strategy. Is It Defining Its Own Role?

agroconf1 — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:57:55 +0000

09.08.2026

Europe is increasingly viewing Ukraine not simply as a major agricultural supplier, but as a strategic component of its future food and resource security. According to the European Commission, Ukraine’s accession could increase the EU’s protein self-sufficiency from 76% to 86%.

This figure goes far beyond a statistical projection. It is a clear indication that Ukraine’s agricultural potential is already being incorporated into European strategic thinking on food security, resource autonomy and resilient supply chains.

Ukraine Railway Seeks New Grain Routes as Russia Strikes Ports

agroconf1 — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:03:18 +0000

05.08.2026

Ukraine’s state rail operator is looking to add new export routes for the country’s critical grain harvest, after Russian attacks on its Black Sea ports curbed shipments.

Domestic market becomes the main sales channel for Ukrainian soybeans

agroconf1 — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:58:37 +0000

05.08.2026

Stronger domestic processing activity has supported soybean purchase prices in Ukraine, according to Spike Brokers.

The brokerage said the global soybean complex ended the week under pressure from improved weather forecasts in the United States, which triggered a sharp decline in futures prices.

In contrast, Ukraine’s physical soybean market followed a different trend. Increased demand from domestic processors lifted the indicative CPT plant price to $450/ton.

Pavlo Koval: Nearly 90% of Ukraine's Agricultural Exports Depend on Maritime Shipping, While Alternative Routes Cannot Fully Compensate

agroconf1 — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:52:43 +0000

27.07.2026

Russia's intensified attacks on Ukraine's port infrastructure and civilian vessels in the Black Sea have already had a significant impact on the country's agricultural export logistics. As security risks continue to escalate, foreign vessels have temporarily suspended calls at Ukrainian ports, creating serious challenges for the export of the new harvest.

Pavlo Koval, Director General of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Confederation (UAC), shared these assessments in an interview with Deutsche Welle.

Allseeds suspends operations in Ukraine due to the security situation

agroconf1 — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:18:11 +0000

24.07.2026

Official Statement of the Allseeds Group of Companies

Even China Will Feel the Impact: Suspension of Ukrainian Grain Exports Threatens Global Food Security — Leonid Kozachenko

agroconf1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:48:12 +0000

23.07.2026

Even China Will Feel the Impact: Halt of Ukrainian Grain Exports Threatens Global Food Security, Says Leonid Kozachenko

For the sixth consecutive day, Ukraine has been unable to export agricultural products through its Black Sea ports.

Russia to intensify attacks on ships to block Ukraine’s grain corridor – Zelenskyy

agroconf1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:37:48 +0000

23.07.2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia will intensify attacks on civilian vessels and port infrastructure in an attempt to disrupt the operation of Ukraine’s Black Sea grain corridor. According to him, the Ukrainian government anticipated such actions several months ago and therefore decided to restore a separate Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food to focus specifically on agricultural logistics and exports. “We understood this several months ago. They will do everything to block our grain corridor.

Ukraine could deprive Russia of the ability to export grain from occupied territories

agroconf1 — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:15:52 +0000

14.07.2026

Restrictions on shipping in the Sea of Azov could significantly complicate grain exports from the temporarily occupied territories of southern Ukraine. According to Oleksandr Kovalenko, military and political analyst at the Information Resistance group, the Sea of Azov is gradually losing its role as a secure logistics route, creating growing risks for agricultural exports through the ports of Mariupol and Berdiansk, while strikes on Crimea are also calling into question the use of Crimean ports for exports.

Pavlo Koval: Europe Is Shaping a New Agricultural Model, and Ukraine Must Be an Active Participant

agroconf1 — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 08:57:59 +0000

05.07.2026

Pavlo Koval, Director General of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UAC), spoke on Ukrainian Radio about Europe's largest Field Days near Magdeburg, the emergence of a new technological model for European agriculture, the future transformation of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and Ukraine's role in this process.

— You recently attended the Field Days in Germany. What made this event particularly significant?

These are the largest agricultural field demonstrations in Europe, held every two years, alternating between eastern and western Germany. This year's event took place near Magdeburg. For me, it was an opportunity to see firsthand how Europe is building a new model of agricultural production.

Beyond Farm Support: How the New CAP Architecture Is Redefining European Agriculture and Ukraine's Role

agroconf1 — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 11:57:17 +0000

29.06.2026

The Common Agricultural Policy is becoming part of Europe’s resilience architecture

The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy is entering a period of structural change. It is no longer only about farm income, market regulation or rural development. The emerging CAP is becoming part of a broader European agenda: food security, strategic autonomy, technological competitiveness, resource efficiency and economic resilience.

Pavlo Koval: Food Security Has Become an Integral Part of National and Global Security

agroconf1 — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:33:39 +0000

29.06.2026

The war in Ukraine, the escalating conflict in the Middle East, and accelerating climate change are increasingly affecting global food security. Today's challenges demonstrate that the stability of the global food market depends not only on agricultural production but also on resilient logistics, reliable critical infrastructure, and effective international cooperation.

This was emphasized by Pavlo Koval, Director General of the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC), commenting to GlobalWatch on the growing risks facing the global agricultural sector.

According to Koval, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a turning point for the global food supply system. The blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports in 2022 exposed the vulnerability of international food supply chains. The simultaneous surge in grain, energy, fertilizer, and transportation costs quickly affected markets across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Ukrainian Intelligence: Russia creating conditions for anthrax spread in Kherson region by disposing of infected animal carcasses

agroconf1 — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:12:22 +0000

23.06.2026

Defence Intelligence of Ukraine claims that Russian occupation authorities are creating conditions that could facilitate the spread of anthrax in the occupied part of Kherson region by transporting and burying infected animal carcasses.

According to DI, infected animals are being disposed of in violation of sanitary regulations. Instead of being incinerated, the carcasses are buried. Some of the burial sites are located near populated areas and highways, while others are situated less than one kilometer from residential settlements.

Black Sea region to drive growth in global sunflower seed production

agroconf1 — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:25:43 +0000

19.06.2026

According to preliminary estimates by Oil World, global sunflower seed production in the 2026/27 marketing year could rise to 63.3 million tonnes, compared with 57.5 million tonnes in the previous season and an average of 56.2 million tonnes over the past five years. As a result, the market is moving closer to historic highs, driven by expansion in key producing countries.