Agriculture and Food Minister Taras Vysotskyi said this during a meeting with Spanish Ambassador to Ukraine Ricardo Lopez-Aranda Jagu, Ukrinform reports, citing the ministry.
According to the minister, maritime routes remain critically important for Ukraine's agricultural exports, as around 90% of grain and oilseed crops are shipped through Black Sea ports. At the same time, alternative routes, including rail, road and Danube transport, could provide no more than 50% of the required export volumes even under the most favorable conditions.
"No alternative route can fully replace seaports. Even under the most optimistic scenario, alternative logistics could handle only up to half of the required export volumes and would cost farmers an additional EUR 50-70 per tonne of produce. Losses for Ukraine's agricultural sector could reach $1.5 billion to $3 billion," Vysotskyi said.
The parties also paid particular attention to risks to the harvesting campaign and the storage of the new crop. The Agriculture Ministry forecasts that the grain storage capacity shortfall could reach 11 million tonnes as early as this autumn. To minimize the risks, work is underway to provide farmers with temporary storage solutions, including grain bags. The ministry is also developing affordable lending mechanisms.
During the meeting, the parties discussed expanding cooperation between Ukraine and Spain in the agricultural sector, supporting alternative logistics routes, attracting international assistance and coordinating with European partners to mitigate the consequences of Russian aggression.
The Spanish ambassador reaffirmed his country's unwavering support for Ukraine and said Spain was ready to consider opportunities for further assistance to Ukraine's agricultural sector, particularly in developing alternative logistics, supporting exports and implementing joint projects to strengthen food security.
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Ukraine exported 3.67 million tonnes of agricultural products in July 2026, down 23.4% from the previous month.
To support producers and maintain stable foreign-currency inflows into Ukraine's economy, the Cabinet of Ministers updated the procedure in August for setting minimum allowable export prices for grain and oilseed crops.