The short version
- A Norwegian-supported ship has sent 25,000 tonnes of wheat from Ukraine to Nigeria as emergency aid.
- Norway has given approx. NOK 10 million for this consignment.
- This is the first humanitarian shipment of wheat from Ukraine since the Black Sea Agreement ended in July 2023.
- The shipment has great symbolic value and shows that Ukraine is still an important agricultural nation, even during war.
Sea view
This week, people in many corners of the world were relieved, when the ship filled with 25,000 tons of wheat for the world’s hungry could finally leave the port of Chornomorsk near Odesa.
Andreas Hansen stood on the quay and waved goodbye. He is the director of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Nordic office, and among those who have worked hard to get this shipment off the ground.
The delivery is the first humanitarian shipment of wheat from Ukraine since the Black Sea Agreement ended in July 2023. Norway has given around NOK 10 million to the shipment, which has a final destination in Nigeria.
– It is fantastic timing that the wheat was sent just after the EU adopted a new support package for Ukraine. The country needed some successes now, says Danish Hansen in a video interview with VG.
The wheat is donated by the Ukrainian authorities through the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative. Norway, together with a number of other donor countries, is financing the shipment.
– This grain will help meet the urgent needs in some of the world’s biggest hunger crises, Hansen tells VG.
READY FOR DEPARTURE: The ship “Sky Gate” at the port of Chornomorsk. Photo: Ukrainian authorities
Norway is the central contributor
Russia’s invasion of the agricultural nation of Ukraine has led to fears of a global famine, because many countries are dependent on importing wheat from, among others, Ukraine.
When VG visited Odesa in the summer of 2022, Ukrainian farmers despaired that the grain they harvested in “the world’s food barrel” could not be transported anywhere.
For a period, the Black Sea Agreement meant that shipments of grain were allowed to go out despite the war, but after Russia withdrew from the agreement, the international community has conducted an intense search for alternative ways to get grain out of the country.
This is how the “Grain from Ukraine” program, launched by the Ukrainian government in November 2022, became very important.
IN UKRAINE: Andreas Hansen, director of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Nordic office. Photo: Photo: Private
Ukraine donates hundreds of thousands of tonnes of grain to Sudan, Yemen, Kenya and Nigeria for food aid, and the World Food Program has helped Ukraine seek contributions from government partners.
By the end of last year, contributions totaling $127 million had been received from 21 government partners. Last year, Norway contributed 22 million dollars in earmarked support to the WFP in Ukraine.
The support from Norway is distributed between three types of relief work: Humanitarian support for people on the front line, demining of agricultural areas so that food production can start again, and finally the “Grain from Ukraine” programme, says Hansen.
On Friday, the Norwegian-supported ship is in Romanian waters, and in a couple of days it will reach WFP’s warehouse in Turkey, from where it will be sent on to the final recipients, in this case Nigeria, so that it reaches them by the end of February.
Expert: – Great symbolic value
In the scant year that the Black Sea Agreement was still in place, Ukraine exported 33 million tonnes of grain and other agricultural goods from its ports, according to FN.
In comparison, this Norwegian-supported shipment has relatively little effect, but in return has great symbolic value, says Christian Anton Smedshaug, associate professor at the Norwegian University of Environmental and Biosciences (NMBU) and general manager of Agri Analyse.
– Even for Norway – with roughly five million inhabitants who import around 400,000 tonnes of cereals – this would only amount to 6-7 per cent of consumption. But one should certainly not underestimate the symbolism of Ukraine’s ability to carry this out: This shows that Ukraine and its partners, despite war, are still a large and important agricultural nation.
Christian Anton Smedshaug
Managing Director Agrianalysis
With this, Ukraine shows that it can find solutions without agreeing with Russia, says Smedshaug.
– In addition, this alleviates the pressure the grain deliveries have created in the EU, believes the agricultural expert.
Smedshaug reminds that Russia ga 200 000 tons grain to African countries “to be fair” a little while ago, so this can also be seen as a follow-up to this initiative, he believes.
– Then it will be an even bigger victory if you manage to continue such shipments, and carry out more, at the same time that regular sea exports can increase, he says to VG.
In this context, it is also relevant to mention Ukraine’s ongoing military offensive in the Black Sea area, he points out.
– Among other things, through the sinking of the missile boat “Ivanovets” last week, they are demonstrating to Russia that it is risky to move west in the Black Sea.
“CUT PRESSURE”: European farmers also demonstrated last week against Ukrainian grain coming across their borders. The shipment by ship to Africa is generally positive, says Smedshaug. Photo: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP / NTB
FACT
Shipments from WFP
Completed Shipments:
In March/April 2023, shipments of wheat to Yemen (30,000 tonnes) and Kenya (25,000 tonnes) were delivered at a total cost of $49.4 million. The shipments were made using donor funds. To Nigeria, Ukraine donated 25,000 tons of grain. The grain has been shipped and is expected to arrive in Nigeria this week.
Current shipments:
WFP is organizing two shipments to Sudan with a total tonnage of 30,432 tonnes of wheat. For both shipments, WFP obtains the grain from its holdings in Turkey, where it will be milled before being sent to Sudan.
Future plans:
WFP has received $43.2 million in new contributions to continue the initiative in 2024. WFP is discussing priority countries and allocation amounts with the Ukrainian government, and we expect this to be finalized in the coming weeks. The proposed countries include Palestine, Mozambique, Malawi, Mauritania, Djibouti, DR Congo and the Central African Republic.
Sea view
This year, the World Food Program has bought one million tonnes of grain from the Ukrainian market.
– This means that Ukraine is the third largest market for WFP. I think that’s great, considering the additional challenges that come with the country being at war, says Nordic director for WFP, Andreas Hansen.
Also read: The war for the grain
2024-02-09 17:43:02
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