Ukraine preparing for additional grain storage facilities in case exports do not resume

Taras Vysotskyi, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, has said that the country is preparing additional storage facilities to store last year's remaining residues and new harvests in case, exports do not take place through ports. Vysotskyi said that there could be a deficit of 10-15 million tonnes of storage capacities due to last year's transitional balances and yield forecast of 2022, Ukrinform reported. According to Taras Vysotskyi, mobile storage capacities are being imported to Ukraine in case grains do not get exported quickly. 

"Given last year's transitional balances and this year's yield forecast, there could be a deficit of 10-15 million tons. Therefore, now, as Plan B for grain storage, in case of impossibility of quick export, mobile elevator cans and hoses are imported to have in reserve potential equipment for storage of these additional tons," Taras Vysotskyi said in his remarks. 

The Ukrainian First Deputy Minister stressed that Ukraine continues to work with United Nations to allow the export of grains by sea. Taras Vysotskyi emphasized that the exports of grains need anti-ship weapons and military support guarantee and added that they continue to make efforts for it, as per the statement released by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine. Speaking about the food price in Ukraine, Taras Vysotskyi said that the prices of agricultural products "is an element of seasonality." The statement of Taras Vysotskyi comes as Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of blocking Ukraine’s grain export. He made the remarks amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine which continues for more than 100 days. 

"The idea itself is important and necessary, without it we will not be able to realize all our export potential. And, of course, this requires several factors: it is enough anti-ship weapons, and guaranteed military support. Therefore, work continues in this direction," Taras Vysotskyi said in his remarks. 

Biden announces plan to build temporary silos to export Ukrainian grain 

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden on 14 June announced that he is working "closely" with European partners to export 20 million tons of grains which remains blocked in Ukraine. Speaking at the 29th AFL-CIO Quadrennial Constitutional Convention, Biden stressed that thousands of grains which is ready for export remain stuck in the silos as they cannot export them through the Black Sea. Biden revealed that the US is working to get the grains out of Ukraine through other countries using the railways. He announced that they plan to set up "temporary silos" on the borders of Ukraine, including Poland. He pointed out that Ukraine has a rail gauge like Russia, which is different from the gauge of the railway tracks in Europe. 

"I’m working closely with our European partners to get 20 million tons of grains locked in Ukraine out onto the market to help bring down food prices," Biden said in his remarks.

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