The amount of grain leaving Ukraine has dropped even as a UN-brokered deal works to keep food flowing to developing nations, with inspections of ships falling to half what they were four months ago
THE AMOUNT OF grain leaving Ukraine has dropped even as a UN-brokered deal works to keep food flowing to developing nations, with inspections of ships falling to half what they were four months ago and a backlog of vessels growing as Russia’s invasion nears the one-year mark.
The hurdles come as separate agreements brokered last summer by Turkey and the UN to keep supplies moving from the warring nations and reduce soaring food prices are up for renewal next month. The drop in supply equates to about a month of food consumption for Kenya and Somalia combined. It follows average inspections per day slowing to 5.7 last month and six so far this month, down from the peak of 10.6 in October.
Factors like poor weather hindering inspectors’ work, demand from shippers to join the initiative, port activity and capacity of vessels also affect shipments. Other observers have also raised the possibility that Russia might be slowing inspections “in order to pick up more business” after harvesting a large wheat crop. Figures from financial data provider Refinitiv show Russian wheat exports more than doubled to 3.8 million tons last month from January 2022, before the invasion.
Russian officials also have complained that the country’s fertiliser is not being exported under the agreement, leaving renewal of the four-month deal that expires March 18 in question.
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