Millions of tonnes of food from previous harvests in Ukraine still need to be cleared to make room in silos for the next one, the U.N. coordinator for a grains deal has said.
More than 1 million tonnes of grains and other foods have so far been exported under a grains deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations.
"The Black Sea Grain Initiative has started creating some space but much more grain needs to shift to make space for the new harvest," said Amir Abdulla, U.N. Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Agricultural Exports
Ukraine has now exported one million tonnes of agricultural products from its Black Sea ports under the terms of a grain deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday.
In an evening address, Zelenskiy said 44 ships had been sent to 15 nations. A further 70 applications for ships to be loaded had been received, he added, reiterating that Kyiv's goal was to export three million tonnes a month.
Read More: Ukraine's 2022 Grain Crop To Decline: APK-Inform
'Stepping Up Attacks'
Russia has probably stepped up attacks along the Donetsk sector of the Donbas region over the last five days in a move that could be aimed at sucking in Ukrainian troops and foiling a counter-attack, according to Britain's defence ministry.
There has been intense fighting near the towns of Siversk and Bakhmut which are located north of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, the ministry said on its daily intelligence bulletin on Twitter on Saturday.
"There is a realistic possibility that Russia has increased its efforts in the Donbas in an attempt to draw in or fix additional Ukrainian units, amid speculation that Ukraine is planning a major counter-offensive," the update added.
Read More: Around 720,000 Tonnes Of Food Have Left Ukraine Under Grain Export Deal
News by Reuters, edited by ESM. For more supply chain news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
