The record shallowing of the Danube has dealt a blow to the export of Ukrainian grain. This is reported by Bloomberg.
Due to the heat and lack of precipitation, the water level in the Danube has fallen to record lows. Because of this, barges are forced to take less cargo, transportation is becoming more expensive, and the delivery time of grain to the Romanian port of Constanta is increasing, the agency reports.
"The problem arose against the background of increased Russian strikes on the Ukrainian port infrastructure, due to which part of the exports have to be redirected from the Black Sea to the Danube, the railway and motor transport. At the same time, alternative routes are able to provide only about a third of the capacity of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The situation creates additional risks for the global market: Russia and Together, Ukraine provides more than a quarter of global wheat exports," the publication says.
According to analysts, if the intensity of hostilities does not decrease and the level of the Danube does not recover, high grain prices may remain.