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Ukraine's agricultural exports experienced a significant downturn in July 2026, falling by almost a quarter compared to the previous month, largely due to a weakened shipping pace and reduced activity at its key Black Sea ports. This decline affected crucial crop deliveries, though vegetable oil shipments notably bucked the trend with a slight increase. The outlook for August remains pessimistic, with analysts anticipating an even sharper drop in export volumes.
According to data released by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), total agricultural exports for July 2026 reached 3.67 million tonnes. This represents a substantial 23.4% decrease from the volumes recorded in June.
The primary drivers behind this contraction were lower shipments of essential commodities including grains, oilseeds, and oilseed meal. Conversely, exports of vegetable oils saw a modest 5.8% rise, totaling 326 thousand tonnes. Within this category, sunflower oil constituted the dominant share at 79.3%, followed by soybean oil at 13.4%, and rapeseed oil at 7.3%. Furthermore, the new barley harvest led to a significant surge in barley shipments.
Grain crops accounted for 2.66 million tonnes of the total exports in July. Oilseed shipments, however, saw a sharp decline of 43.7%, dropping to 88.5 thousand tonnes. Oilseed meal exports also fell considerably, by 45.8%, reaching 194.5 thousand tonnes. The breakdown for oilseed meal exports showed soybean meal comprising 59.6%, while sunflower meal and other types made up the remaining 40.4%. Exports of other agricultural products also decreased, by 3.2%, to 390.8 thousand tonnes.
UCAB analysts attribute the overall slump in exports to diminished shipments and the noticeable reduction in activity at the ports of Greater Odesa. Their projections for August indicate a grim picture, with export volumes expected to decline by nearly half when compared to July figures.
In response to what the government termed 'Russia's terror in the Black Sea,' authorities have adopted initial measures under an emergency support package designed to assist farmers. The agricultural sector is advised to closely monitor evolving logistics and global market dynamics in the coming months, as the situation is expected to remain volatile.
Source: Межа. Новини України.