Ukraine's Grain Exports Fall 10% to 2.1 mln T in Sept m/m - Business Association

Ukrainian grain exports fell 10% to 2.1 million metric tons in September versus August due to difficulties in export logistics and Russian shelling on key export facilities, the UCAB agricultural business association said on Tuesday. 

Exports of vegetable oils decreased by 13% to 479,900 tons, the association said in a statement. UCAB said wheat and sunflower oil dominated the export volumes in September. 

Ukraine exported 2.3 million tons of grain and 549,000 tons of vegetable oils in August, the association said. "The main expectations for the next month (October) regarding further recovery of agro-industrial exports are a gradual increase in shipments through the temporary sea corridor without Russian participation," UCAB said. 

Kyiv launched what it calls a temporary humanitarian corridor in August to allow agricultural exports as an alternative arrangement after Russia blocked the U.N.-backed Black Sea grain deal that had been in place for a year. 

Three more cargo ships left Ukrainian seaports on Sunday, while five new vessels came in for loading. However, only 7,000 tons of grain were exported from Ukraine on Oct. 1, the farm ministry data showed. 

Ukraine is expected to harvest 79 million tons of grain and oilseed in 2023, with an exportable surplus of about 50 million tons in 2023/24.

(Reuters - Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage)