Ukraine’s agricultural exports have declined by about 20% due to the impact of Russian strikes on port infrastructure and commercial vessels, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Taras Vysotskyi said in an interview with BiznesCensor.
“Currently, average monthly exports of key grains, oilseeds and processed products exceed 4 million tonnes. For comparison, during peak periods of the full-scale war, we reached nearly 5 million tonnes per month. That means volumes are now about 20% below those maximum levels,” Vysotskyi said.
He noted that this is partly due to shelling and increased risks to shipping.
According to the deputy minister, the pace of signing contracts for Ukrainian agricultural exports has also fallen by around 20% in recent weeks.
“Shelling undoubtedly affects counterparties’ behavior, but this is not about a halt in trade. In recent weeks, the pace of contract signings and shipments has declined by roughly 20%. This is a response to heightened risks, particularly to port infrastructure and shipping. At the same time, there has been no critical shutdown of activity,” he emphasized.
He also acknowledged that intensified Russian attacks have driven up logistics costs.
“Due to shelling and higher risks, costs have increased, but in terms of final logistics prices, the rise is roughly 10–15%. This is noticeable but not substantial,” Vysotskyi said.
At the same time, he assured that Ukrainian agricultural products remain competitive on global markets, although profitability has declined significantly for some segments.
“Despite the war, infrastructure attacks and higher logistics costs, we continue to hold our positions in key markets. Yes, profitability may vary — in some cases businesses operate with comfortable margins, in others close to zero. But overall competitiveness remains, allowing us to stay a full-fledged player in the international market,” Vysotskyi concluded.
