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Why does the world need grain to be shipped from Ukraine? How much grain is being shipped from Ukraine?
(21 days later)
A ship has left the Ukrainian port of Odesa carrying 26,000 tonnes of corn, bound for Lebanon. Brave Commander is taking 23,000 tonnes of grain from Ukraine to Ethiopia
The Sierra Leone-flagged ship, the Razoni, is the first cargo ship to have been able to leave a Ukrainian port since February, when Russian began a naval blockade in the Black Sea. Over half a million tonnes of wheat and other types of food have been shipped from Ukraine's ports in the past month, says the United Nations.
Ukraine's government says 16 other grain ships with 600,000 tonnes of foodstuffs are waiting to leave ports in and around Odesa in the coming weeks. On 22 July, Russia lifted its blockade of the ports, allowing ships to use a safe corridor through the Black Sea.
The blockade imposed by Russia has caused soaring grain prices and shortages in some of the world's poorest countries. However, Ukraine is only exporting grain at half the rate that it was before the war.
How much grain is stuck in Ukraine? How much grain has been stuck in Ukraine?
About 20m tonnes of grain meant for export are trapped in the country. About 20 million tonnes of grain meant for export has been trapped in Ukraine since February, along with other foodstuffs such as maize and sunflower oil.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said this could rise to 75m tonnes after this year's harvest. This has caused an undersupply of food and soaring prices in many countries around the world.
The war also means that this year's harvest will be smaller. The African Development Bank says it has contributed to a shortage of 30 million tonnes of food across the continent, and a 40% rise in food prices.
As much as 30% of the 86m tonnes of grain Ukraine normally produces will not be harvested, says Laura Wellesley, a food security specialist at think tank Chatham House.
How have grain shortages affected other countries?
Ukraine is usually the world's fourth-largest grain exporter. It normally produces 42% of the world's sunflower oil, 16% of its maize and 9% of its wheat.
In addition, wheat exports from Russia - the world's largest exporter - are down.
Western sanctions do not target Russian agriculture, but the Kremlin argues they have hindered exports by hiking insurance rates and affecting payments. Russian ships carrying agricultural products are not barred from EU ports.
Ukraine and Russia usually supply over 40% of Africa's wheat, the African Development Bank says.
But the war has led to a shortage of 30 million tonnes of food in Africa, it says. This has contributed to a 40% rise in food prices across the continent.
In Nigeria, it has helped increase the price of staples such as pasta and bread by as much as 50%.In Nigeria, it has helped increase the price of staples such as pasta and bread by as much as 50%.
Similarly, Yemen normally imports more than a million tonnes of wheat a year from Ukraine. Yemen, which normally imports more than a million tonnes of wheat a year from Ukraine, saw the price of flour rise by 42% and bread by 25%.
The fall in supplies between January and May saw the price of flour rise by 42% and bread by 25% in Yemen, the UN says.
In Syria, another big importer of Ukrainian wheat, the price of bread has doubled.In Syria, another big importer of Ukrainian wheat, the price of bread has doubled.
Laura Wellesley says that unless a lot of Ukraine's grain is shipped, many countries in the Middle East and Africa will go short. 20m tonnes of Ukraine's grain has been trapped in the country
"This would push up the price of bread within those countries even further, which would cause a great deal of social unrest," she says. How much food is being shipped from Ukraine?
Cargo ships have been unable to export grain from Ukraine since February Since the safe sea corridor was set up on 22 July, 560,000 tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been shipped from Ukraine's ports.
How is the blockade being lifted? This includes 451,481 tonnes of corn (maize), 41,622 tonnes of wheat and 6,000 tonnes of sunflower oil.
Russia and Ukraine signed "mirror deals" with the UN and Turkey, opening up a "maritime corridor" in the Black Sea. Global food prices fell as soon as the corridor came into force.
Officials say this includes: The UN's measure of world food prices - the FAO food price index - fell by nearly 9% in July.
A corridor from the ports to the Istanbul strait, 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide Ukraine's government says 30 ships have been listed so far to load with foodstuffs at its ports.
Ukrainian vessels guiding grain ships in and out through mined port waters The United Nations is a major buyer of Ukrainian grain, sending it to countries in danger of famine.
Russia agreeing to a truce while shipments move One ship, Brave Commander, is carrying 23,000 tonnes of UN-bought wheat to Ethiopia.
Turkey inspecting ships to allay Russian fears of weapons smuggling The UN says it has bought up 60,000 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat in total for needy countries.
Russian exports of grain and fertiliser via the Black Sea permitted Is enough food being shipped?
Ukraine had been reluctant to clear mines around its ports, fearing that Russia might take advantage and launch a seaborne invasion. Ukraine's government says in the first half of August, only 948,000 tonnes were exported, by sea or by land.
However, says Dr Sidhart Kaushal, Research Fellow in Sea Power at the think tank Rusi, "Ukraine has enough to deter Russia landing troops from the sea." In the same period last year, the country exported 1.8 million tonnes.
Who is insuring cargo ships using the sea corridor? On a visit to Odesa, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "Getting food and fertiliser out of Ukraine in larger quantities is crucial, to further calm commodity markets and to lower prices."
The Razoni already had insurance cover for its journey out of Odesa, says Neil Roberts of insurance industry body Lloyds Market Association.. Ukraine's government says it will be able to export three million tonnes of grain in September, and four million tonnes in October.
Insurers will now be deciding what premiums to charge cargo ships which will be entering Odesa and the other ports in future to load up with grain. Ukraine says it will able to export 3m tonnes of grain a month. But it will take about 15 ships a day to carry it all.
"This as being treated as a test voyage, to see whether everything in the deal goes according to plan," says Mr Roberts. However, this depends on whether more shipping companies are prepared to send their vessels to Ukraine.
The cost of insuring ships entering the Black Sea soared after Russia invaded Ukraine. David Osler of the shipping journal Lloyd's List says that to take three million tonnes of food a month from Ukraine, 15 ships would have to load at its ports every day.
Some insurers have charged 5% or 10% of the value of the ship for a single voyage. However, he says: "Ship owners fear sending their vessels there. They're still afraid their ships hitting a mine or getting attacked by the Russians."
However, premiums will be lower now the safe corridor deal is in place, says Mr Roberts. How does the safe sea corridor work?
"Insurers will be keeping their premiums affordable because this is a humanitarian exercise, not for profit," he says. Russia and Ukraine both signed deals with Turkey to establish a corridor from Odesa and two neighbouring ports to the Istanbul strait.
How was grain been exported before the safe sea corridor? It is 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide.
Before the war, Ukraine sent over 90% of its food exports by sea. Ukrainian vessels guide grain ships in and out through mined port waters, and Turkey inspects the ships to allay Russian fears of weapons smuggling.
With its ports blockaded, it had tried to export as much as it can by land, using trucks and trains. Russian exports of grain and fertiliser via the Black Sea are permitted.
The EU set up "solidarity lanes", so that Ukraine's grain could be shipped from ports on the Baltic Sea, and also from the Romanian port of Constanta. The agreement expires after 120 days - in mid-November.
For part of the journey to Constanta, the grain could be transported by barge along the Danube. David Osler says insurers are charging premiums of 1% or 2% of a ship's value for every journey to and from Ukraine.
These may be needed in future. The safe sea corridor deal lasts only 120 days and may not be renewed when it expires. "That compares with premiums of 5% or 10% that were being charged before the safe sea corridor was created," he says.
"The rates are reasonable, given the circumstances, but ship owners still won't take the risk."
How could grain be exported without a safe sea corridor?
When its ports were blockaded, Ukraine tried to export as much as it could by land, using trucks and trains.
The EU set up what it called "solidarity lanes," so that Ukrainian grain could be shipped from ports on the Baltic Sea, and also from the Romanian port of Constanta.
However, a lack of road and rail capacity means that Ukraine can export only 10% of its grain at most by land.