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How much grain is being shipped from Ukraine? How much grain has been shipped from Ukraine?
(2 months later)
Brave Commander is taking 23,000 tonnes of grain from Ukraine to Ethiopia A grain ship in the port of Chornomorsk on Ukraine's Black Sea coast
More than 630,000 tonnes of grain and other types of food have been shipped from Ukraine's ports since the start of this month, says the United Nations. Russia is restarting its cooperation in a scheme to export grain from Black Sea ports, days after saying it was withdrawing.
The first cargo was loaded on 1 August after Russia lifted its naval blockade of Ukraine, allowing ships to use a safe corridor through the Black Sea. In July Moscow agreed to allow ships to export millions of tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs from Ukraine through a safe corridor in the Black Sea.
However, Ukraine is exporting its grain more slowly than it was before the war started. How much food has been shipped from Ukraine?
How much grain has been stuck in Ukraine? After Russia invaded Ukraine, its navy imposed a blockade on Ukraine's Black Sea ports, trapping about 20 million tonnes of grain meant for export inside the country, along with other foodstuffs such as maize and sunflower oil.
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. Since Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of food, this caused food prices to increase worldwide.
This has caused an undersupply of food and soaring prices in many countries around the world. However, the two sides signed the Black Sea initiative on 22 July, creating a safe corridor for shipping.
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. The first ship sailed from Ukraine on 1 August, and up until 28 October, more than 9.3 million tonnes of food had been exported through the Black Sea, according to the UN.
In Nigeria, it has helped increase the price of staples such as pasta and bread by as much as 50%. In September, Ukraine exported four million tonnes of food through the Black Sea.
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%. Before Russia's invasion, it had been shipping five million tonnes every month.
In Syria, another big importer of Ukrainian wheat, the price of bread has doubled. Exports have not returned to pre-war levels partly because many companies refuse to send their cargo ships into the corridor.
About 20 million tonnes of Ukraine's grain has been trapped in the country "They're still afraid of their ships hitting a mine or getting attacked by the Russians," says David Osler, of the shipping journal Lloyd's List.
How much food is being shipped from Ukraine? Where has the food gone?
Since the safe sea corridor was set up on 22 July, more than 630,000 tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs have been shipped from Ukraine's ports. Some food has gone directly to the poorest countries in the world, and some has been shipped to countries where people are at risk of starvation, under UN humanitarian relief programmes.
This includes corn (maize), wheat and sunflower oil. However, UN figures show that the bulk of Ukrainian food exported in the last three months has been going to Spain, Turkey, Italy, China and the Netherlands.
Global food prices fell as soon as the corridor agreement was signed.
The UN's measure of world food prices - the FAO food price index - fell by nearly 9% in July.
Ukraine's government says more than 40 ships have been listed so far to load with foodstuffs at its ports.
Grain ships travel in a narrow corridor through the Black SeaGrain ships travel in a narrow corridor through the Black Sea
The United Nations is a major buyer of Ukrainian grain, sending it to countries in danger of famine. Before the war, the top importers of Ukrainian wheat were Egypt, Indonesia and Bangladesh.
One ship, Brave Commander, is carrying 23,000 tonnes of UN-bought wheat to Ethiopia. The UN said in September that just under 30% had gone to lower-income countries, while 44% had been shipped to high-income countries.
The UN says it has bought up 60,000 tonnes of Ukrainian wheat in total for needy countries. However, the resumption of Ukrainian food exports across the world helped to lower international food prices between July and the end of October, judging by the UN food price index.
Is enough food being shipped?
Ukraine's government says in the first half of August, only 948,000 tonnes were exported, by sea or by land.
In the same period last year, the country exported 1.8 million tonnes.
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."
Ukraine's government says it will be able to export three million tonnes of grain in September, and four million tonnes in October.
Ukraine says it will able to export three million tonnes of grain a month, but it will take about 15 ships a day to carry it all.
However, this depends on whether more shipping companies are prepared to send their vessels to 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.
However, he says: "Ship owners fear sending their vessels there. They're still afraid of their ships hitting a mine or getting attacked by the Russians."
How does the safe sea corridor work?How does the safe sea corridor work?
Russia and Ukraine both signed deals with Turkey to establish a corridor from Odesa, and two neighbouring ports, to the Istanbul strait.Russia and Ukraine both signed deals with Turkey to establish a corridor from Odesa, and two neighbouring ports, to the Istanbul strait.
It is 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide. This corridor is 310 nautical miles long and three nautical miles wide.
Ukrainian vessels guide grain ships in and out of port through mines that Ukrainian forces laid. Ukrainian vessels guide grain ships in and out of port past mines which Ukrainian naval forces have laid.
Turkey inspects the ships for weapons, at the request of the Russians. Turkish personnel inspect the ships for weapons, at the request of the Russians.
Russian is being allowed to export grain and fertiliser via the Black Sea. The agreement is due to expire after 120 days, in mid-November, but there are hopes it will be renewed.
The agreement expires after 120 days - in mid-November. Why did Russia pull out?
Mr Osler says insurers are charging premiums of 1% or 2% of a ship's value for every journey to and from Ukraine. Russia said it was temporarily suspending the Black Sea corridor deal after Ukraine attacked its naval base at Sevastopol with drones.
"That compares with premiums of 5% or 10% that were being charged before the safe sea corridor was created," he says. It says a ship using the corridor was involved in the attack, although the UN says there were no ships in the corridor at the time.
"The rates are reasonable, given the circumstances, but ship owners still won't take the risk." Cargo ships continued to sail from Ukraine ports after Ukraine, Turkey and the UN told shipping companies they would still be safe to do so.
How could grain be exported without a safe sea corridor? However, the global price of wheat on the world's commodity exchanges jumped by over 5%, and maize prices jumped by 2%, on the first day of trading on food exchanges after Russia made its announcement.
When its ports were blockaded, Ukraine tried to export as much as it could by land, using lorries and trains. Now, Russia has said it is rejoining the agreement, having received assurances from Ukraine that it would not use the corridor to attack Russian forces.
The prices of wheat and other foodstuffs fell back on global markets as a result.
Can Ukraine export food without using the Black Sea?
When Russia blockaded Ukraine's ports following it invasion in February, Ukraine tried to export as much produce as it could by land, using lorries 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.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. However, a lack of road and rail capacity means that Ukraine cannot export more than about 10% of its grain by land.