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| Russia has canceled an agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea. (Source: Anadolu Agency) |
"Right now, an opportunity has appeared with the transportation of Ukrainian grain," Mr. Plavnieks said on Latvian radio.
The head of Latvian railways stressed that about 500 thousand to 1 million tons of Ukrainian grain could be transported through this corridor per year.
Ukraine is a major grain grower and exporter. Its grain output in 2023 is expected to fall to around 46 million tonnes, down from 53 million tonnes in 2022 and a record 86 million tonnes in 2021.
Kiev consumes only about 17 million tons of grain each season and has to export the rest.
However, since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, key seaports have been blocked, affecting exports. This situation has forced Ukrainian producers to adjust their planting plans and switch from cereals to oilseeds, which are more expensive but produce less.
Kiev’s grain industry is in trouble after Moscow withdrew from an agreement allowing Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea. The country can now only export limited quantities of grain through small ports on the Danube River and across land borders in western Europe.
In July, Latvia asked the European Commission (EC) to develop a route that would allow Ukrainian grain to reach five ports in the three Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. These five ports have a combined grain export capacity of up to 25 million tonnes per year.
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