Hungary asks to expand “grain initiative” to 2 more Ukrainian ports

UkrAgroConsult

“The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which expires on July 18, needs to be extended and expanded from three to five ports so that Ukrainian agricultural products can once again be delivered to southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East via traditional routes, Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy said on Tuesday in Ankara at a meeting with Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli.

“The minister drew the attention of his Turkish counterpart to the fact that Turkey’s role in the Russian-Ukrainian war is crucial, as it maintains excellent relations with both sides,” the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture’s official website reports.

According to Nagy, due to the military conflict, Ukrainian grain coming across the borders of the five frontline countries creates serious market difficulties and poses problems for farmers.

He emphasized that Hungary continues to support the work of the European Union’s “solidarity corridor”, which is designed to help with the land transportation of Ukrainian grain. However, the corridor did not meet expectations (of Hungary – IF-U) and could not replace Black Sea shipping. Nagy expressed confidence that the difficulties can be resolved if Ukrainian grain can once again reach its destination countries – Southern European EU member states, Africa and the Middle East – via traditional routes.

The Hungarian minister reminded that since the grain deal was signed in July last year, about 1,080 ships with grain and other food products with more than 30 million tons of cargo, 50% of which is corn, have left three Ukrainian ports.

“Our responsibility is historic, because if we manage to extend the agreement and free more than three ports from the blockade, it will serve both to protect the affected European countries and to meet the needs of developing countries. Otherwise, the EU grain market may be completely paralyzed, and food insecurity will force more and more people to migrate, increasing migration pressure and tensions,” the Hungarian agriculture ministry quoted its head as saying.

On behalf of the five frontline countries, Nagy asked his parliamentarian for intercession to facilitate the extension of the agreement, as well as to free additional ports in addition to the current three.

The Hungarian minister invited his Turkish counterpart to visit Hungary for further talks. “There are many issues in the relations between the two countries that need further discussion, as we are connected by a thousand threads,” he said.

Nagy also invited Turkish investors to take part in the development of Hungarian agriculture in the livestock and food industries.

Turkey’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry assured his Hungarian counterpart that Turkey attaches great importance to the continuation of the grain corridor agreement. He said that these efforts will continue to be led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the website of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture.

Further development of agri logistics in Ukraine and the Black Sea region will be discussed by leading agribusiness operators at the International Conference ‘BLACK SEA GRAIN & OIL‘ on September 14 in Kyiv. Join us to find out the forecasts for the new 2023/24 season, prospects for investments, processing, logistics and exports for the recovery and development of Ukrainian agricultural industry.

Tags: Hungary, Black Sea grain corridor