Spain has been, since last August, the first buyer of Ukrainian grain transported by ship, through the Black Sea, thanks to the agreement reached between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey with UN mediation. The main products imported from Ukraine have been corn and rapeseed, intended for the production of feed for the livestock sector.
In total, Spanish purchases of cereals and oilseeds have risen to 1.8 million tons, out of the 9.8 million that have been able to leave three Ukrainian ports in 476 ships between August 1 and October 31. The destination of these grain ships for Spain has been the ports of Tarragona and Cartagena. These data have been revealed this Friday by the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, who participates in Paris in the meeting with his counterparts from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Even before the war, Spain was always a good client of the Ukraine, whose cereals and oilseeds are of excellent quality. Imports reach, on average, two million tons per year. Spanish production is 20 million tons per year, but the needs reach 35 million tons, mainly due to the consumption of livestock, hence it is inexcusable to resort to purchases abroad.
Faced with the war and the temporary suspension of Ukrainian exports, Spain sought alternative supplies in Canada, the United States and Brazil. The continuity of the agreement for the transit of cargo ships with grain through the Black Sea is vital to guarantee the stabilization of the markets, although last week it was seen that the pact is fragile and Russia could abandon it at any time.
Planas stressed that cereal needs are covered, despite the war and the fact that Spanish harvests were lower than average due to the drought. The minister was also cautiously optimistic about the evolution of food prices. He predicted that there will be a stabilization between now and the beginning of 2023 and the forecast is that, later, prices will fall, although he recognized the context of high volatility and the risk that the war in Ukraine entails. Planas also admitted the concern raised by fertilizers, whose price has almost tripled in the last two years.
