Lithuania Backs Ukraine's Efforts to Boost Agricultural Exports Amid Ongoing Conflict

Ukraine and Lithuania have strengthened their cooperation on agricultural exports, seeking alternative logistics routes and temporary grain storage amidst ongoing Russian attacks. The two countries' ministers of agriculture discussed these issues during a recent meeting.

The suspension of seaborne agricultural exports through the Greater Odesa ports has significantly impacted Ukraine's export volume, with only about one-third of potential shipments made in August, according to Minister Taras Vysotskyi. Railways and the Danube are helping maintain some deliveries, but their capacity is insufficient to replace maritime exports.

Ukraine estimates that if seaborne exports do not improve, more than 30 million tons of agricultural products could remain unexported over the next year, resulting in financial losses exceeding $10 billion. This situation poses risks to farmers' revenues and their ability to finance the next production cycle.

The two countries also agreed to coordinate efforts to combat illegal grain exports from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. Lithuania is considering practical options to assist with temporary crop storage, while Ukraine is calling for stronger checks on grain origin at Baltic ports.