Ukraine's Maize Exports Plummet by Nearly 85% Amid Port Blockade

Ukraine's agricultural exports nearly halved in volume during the first 27 days of August, with maize shipments suffering the steepest decline. The country exported almost 1.73 million tonnes, compared with 3.29 million tonnes during the same period in July.

Maize exports fell 84.3% to 190,700 tonnes. Wheat shipments dropped 49.8% to 486,600 tonnes, while barley exports fell 74.5% to 62,600 tonnes. Together, wheat, maize and barley exports declined from 2.43 million tonnes in July to 740,000 tonnes in August, reducing their share of total agricultural exports from 73.9% to 42.9%.

The fall in export value was less severe. August exports were worth $1.06 billion, down 25.6% from $1.42 billion in July. The figures came from a weekly market review by brokerage company Spike Brokers.

Rapeseed moved in the opposite direction, rising to 255,200 tonnes from 11,800 tonnes in July. Germany became the largest destination at 195,700 tonnes, followed by Italy, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain. Türkiye, the largest destination in July, received 114,000 tonnes in August, a 79% drop.

Transport patterns also shifted as the blockade restricted routes to ports. Road transport increased 11.3% from the start of August, while rail grain transport fell 42%. Rail traffic toward ports dropped 95.5% from July, while traffic toward the border increased 2.4 times.