December report on progress of Ukrainian grains exports to Africa

We publish today the December report on the outcome of the project "Repairing Broken Food Trade Routes Ukraine – Africa”. 

It covers development of Ukrainian grain exports (including Africa and Middle East destinations) under the Grain Initiative and change of Ukrainian origin’ market share at main African importing markets. Report recaptures the December 2022 developments of grain export shipments from Ukraine and touches on competitive standing of Ukrainian production in context of subsidies practiced by competitive origins. We also shed more light on sea freight insurance changes and impact on increased costs born in supply chain. 

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme “Making Agricultural Trade Sustainable” (MATS) programme (https://sustainable-agri-trade.eu/).

The role of MATS/WTI in this programme is to identify and explore “broken” Ukrainian - African food trade routes due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Starting with a food trade flow chart pre- and post-24 February 2022, it will assess, first, whether Ukrainian (or African) traders can again supply these products (Output 1). Failing that, whether the new EU-financed “Crisis Management” (or another) programme can possibly make up for lost Ukrainian agrifood exports (Output 2). It will also identify alternative exporters (if any) which might already have filled in agrifood demand in Africa (Output 3). Importantly, the Project also looks at the potential effect of these developments on competing farm production in Africa (Output 4).

For further information and/or offer to assist in project implementation, please write to Christian Häberli (Christian.Haeberli@wti.org) or to Bogdan Kostetsky (bogdan.kostetsky@gmail.com).