The International Grains Council (IGC) has strongly condemned Russia's war against Ukraine and expressed solidarity with Ukraine. The independent organization of grain-exporting countries has called on Moscow to immediately cease all military operations and withdraw its troops.
The clear pro-Ukraine stance places the Grains Council in a difficult financial position. Due to its large share in the global export of wheat, barley, and sunflowers, Russia makes a significant contribution to the IGC. Excluding Russia would likely result in a substantial loss of income. The IGC’s harvest and supply balances are internationally regarded as an important basis for decision-making by politicians and markets.
The IGC also appealed to all other countries to keep agricultural markets open and not to impose export restrictions. Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi clarified that approximately 3.5 million hectares of arable land cannot be used due to the fighting. It is therefore unlikely that these areas will play a role in the 2022 harvest.
The Ukrainian minister, together with his Lithuanian counterpart Kestutis Navickas, discussed agricultural exports by rail via Poland to the Lithuanian Baltic Sea ports. Such transportation would not only have the advantage of providing Ukrainians with a new sales channel but would also allow the empty trains on the return journey to carry fuel and fertilizer back. In peacetime, Ukraine transports 98 percent of its agricultural exports through ports on the Black Sea, which are now blocked by the Russians.
According to Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk, Poland is working on constructing a so-called "dry port" combined with a transshipment station on the eastern border to increase rail capacity. Ukraine has also talked with Romania to explore the possible use of the Danube River and Romanian seaports on the Black Sea.