On November 12, USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) representative, Thomas O’Callaghan, Supply Chain and Export Logistics Lead, and Alex Lissitsa, President of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), Chairman of the Board of IMC, facilitated the seminar, “Grain Exports: Expanding Sales Channels & New Opportunities from Ukraine,” at the Fastmarkets Global Grain Geneva 2024 conference.

At the seminar, 16 Ukrainian grain exporters pitched and shared their company profiles, their experiences on how the Ukrainian grain sector has adapted during the full-scale invasion, logistical disruptions, and economic instability. Ukraine is ready and willing to tackle new and existing markets with vigor with their improved logistical supply chains, as evidenced by the reputable growers and shippers in attendance at the conference and in Switzerland, highlighting their resiliency.

◾ Agrochemtechnology ◾ Agroprosperis Group ◾ AGROTRADE GROUP ◾ Astarta-Kyiv ◾ GRAIN ALLIANCE ◾ Continental Farmers Group ◾ Eridon ◾ Agro Region ◾ Hermes-Trading ◾ IMC ◾ LNZ Group (UA) ◾ OKKO GROUP ◾ Risoil Ukraine ◾ ТАС Агро ◾ Tradex Agri Group ◾ UGTC TRADE

On November 12-14, the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) with Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) attended Fastmarkets Global Grain Geneva 2024 conference to promote Ukraine’s grain export capabilities and to seek new commercial opportunities for UCAB members on the global grain market. More than 800 participants from 500 companies and over 55 countries attended this prestigious event.

Importers, traders, brokers, shippers, policy makers and other sector stakeholders joined and used this international platform to expand networking opportunities, build relationships, gather valuable market insights and expand commercial activity in agricultural commodities markets.

UCAB’s booth enabled delegates from various countries within the supply chain to meet directly with 16 Ukrainian exporters and companies to discuss commercial sales opportunities for new and existing markets.

ERA’s Supply Chain and Export Logistics Lead, Thomas O’Callaghan, attended and noted, “Global Grain Geneva provides Ukrainian exporters a valuable opportunity to meet directly with key commercial decision makers in the global grain and oilseed trade. Over the course of three days, the UCAB stand facilitated commercial connectivity and face-to-face meetings with 82 international trading and shipping companies located in 27 countries across the world. This event not only gave Ukrainian exporters the chance to articulate in person the value of Ukrainian grain and oilseed products, it also gave international buyers a better understanding of the ongoing opportunities and value proposition to source directly from producers within Ukraine’s largest export sector”.

USAID, through its Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), delivered a second pilot boat to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) to improve the efficiency and safety of pilots moving to and from vessels navigating the Danube ports. The pilot boat, Lotsman Bolotin, will replace the outdated pilot boat, Aldebaran, to transport maritime pilots 16% faster to arriving and departing export vessels, ultimately reducing delays and increasing agricultural export turnover to get grain to global markets.

The pilot boat was built in Izmir, Turkey and is specially designed to operate in enclosed harbors and rivers, which is particularly important for ensuring pilot operations in the ports of the Danube region. The pilot boat can accommodate 8 pilots and 2 crew members onboard and move as fast as 32 km/hour; however, the average operational speed is around 15 km/hour. At the average speed, the boat can operate for up to three days without refueling. The 15-meter pilot boat is made of marine grade aluminum and painted orange, making it visible on the water under any conditions. The boat features a wide range of European and American equipment featuring two American Cummins engines  and two Alamarin waterjets from Finland.

 Lotsman Bolotin is named after Captain Borys Bolotin (1940-2019), a first-class maritime pilot who served as both the Deputy Head (2009-2013) and Head of Danube Unified Sea Pilotage Service of Delta Lotsman (2004-2009). After graduating from Kherson Maritime Lyceum, he dedicated his life to maritime shipping on the Danube. He is buried in Izmail.

Next month, ERA will deliver the third pilot boat, Lotsman Cheberiakov, also being built in Izmir.

Recently, the second pilot boat USAID is building for USPA, named Pilot Cheberiakov, successfully completed sea trials. In total, USPA will receive three pilot boats to further strengthen the export capacity of the Ukrainian economy on the Danube and Black Sea ports.

Background: Assistance to agricultural producers and infrastructure companies is part of the Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) – Ukraine, implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It aims to help Ukraine increase its capacity to produce, store, transport, and export grain.

USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) provided five telehandlers to members of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council, Ukraine’s largest public association of more than 1,200 small and medium-sized agribusinesses from across the country. 

These telehandlers will bolster operations at Agrofirma Dzvony, Kushpit, AGRO-ORMS, Agroco, and Kischenzi. The equipment will accelerate elevators operations and increase the grain transportation capacity of these medium-sized firms to 185,130 tons annually. 

Agrofirma Dzvony, a family-owned enterprise, expects the modern telehandler to optimize overall work at the elevator and amplify its transportation capacity by 150%. The company will use the telehandler to load trailers under the canopy during harvest, transport grain, and fill big bags with grain. Dzvony specializes in growing wheat, corn, soybeans, rapeseed, and sunflowers.  

Another beneficiary of the USAID-provided telehandler is Kushpit, a family-owned business that anticipates improvements in grain storage facility operations with the new equipment. Two of the company’s three telehandlers are outdated, impacting overall efficiency. While telehandlers are utilized across various operations, Kushpit plans to use the new equipment to expedite transportation at the elevator. The existing telehandlers will be repurposed for land plot afforestation, grubbing, and chip overloading related to these reforestation efforts. 

AGRO-ORMS, an agri firm, plans to increase its grain transshipment capacity and optimize logistics costs with the new telescopic handler. Due to the dispersed locations of its shipping points, the company currently rents an additional telehandler to supplement its own. AGRO-ORMS expects that utilizing two telehandlers will enable simultaneous shipment from two warehouses, ultimately doubling the speed of grain trailer loading. It will decrease downtime and expedite delivery to ports or borders, potentially leading to a 250% increase in exports.  

Furthermore, USAID ERA provided a telehandler to Kischenzi, a diversified farm, that integrates agricultural, dairy, vegetable, and pig farming operations. The company will utilize the USAID-provided telehandler to manage grain movement within storage warehouses and facilitate loading onto vehicles for further transshipment to Ukrainian ports. With the new telehandler, Kischenzi anticipates a 50% increase in grain loading capacity, enabling it to handle up to 4,500 tons of grain daily.  

Lastly, USAID ERA provided a telehandler to Agroco, a diversified agri enterprise. Founded in 2001, Agroco cultivates corn, soybeans, sunflowers, and wheat while operating a dairy farm. The new telehandler will enhance the company’s grain handling efficiency at the elevator. Previously, relying on shared equipment from their livestock operations, Agroco expects to double their daily grain loading capacity from 500 to 1,000 tons with the telehandler. This improvement will accelerate technological processes and reduce costs associated with loading rented rail wagons. 

Background: Assistance to agricultural producers and infrastructure companies is part of the Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) – Ukraine, implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It aims to help Ukraine increase its capacity to produce, store, transport, and export grain.       

In May 2024, the state enterprise, Ukrainian of Sea Ports Authority (USPA) received a pilot boat from the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) to strengthen the export capacity of seaports, by transporting maritime pilots between land and inbound/outbound ships, impacting logistical efficiency of cargo and export processing. 

Since July 17, the Ukrainian flag raising ceremony symbolized placing the Hennadii Zhuravkov pilot boat into service, delivering pilots to facilitate commercial shipping on the river and sea ports. During the three months of active use (July-September), the team on Hennadii Zhuravkov, delivered pilots to more than 400 jobs, accounting for 20% of all pilot services. 

On board Hennadii Zhuravkov there are usually two people, a captain and a sailor, working an 11-hour shift, and it generally takes 1 hour 7 minutes to complete one pilot delivery operation. This is 33% faster than on previous pilot boats that took 1 hour 40 minutes. In total Hennadii Zhuravkov processed 417 vessels, 57 in July, 203 in August, and 157 in September. 

“Most of the ships where we delivered pilots by boat, are dry cargo ships that mainly transport grain cargo for export from Ukraine, as well as construction materials and livestock,” says Oleksandr Holodnytskyi, Head of the Delta-Lotsman branch of USPA. “The new pilot boat ensures uninterrupted operations in the seaport, which is very important for the Ukrainian economy during the war. This has a positive effect on the growth of the seaport’s logistical capabilities, avoiding delays in the pilot service work, and increasing the port’s potential daily throughput capacity. It was with clear and convincing calculations that USAID ERA provided us with such a valuable pilot boat built for our needs, and we are grateful for that!” 

Recently, the second pilot boat USAID is building for USPA, named Pilot Cheberiakov, successfully completed sea trials. In total, USPA will receive three pilot boats to further strengthen the export capacity of the Ukrainian economy on the Danube and Black Sea ports.  

Background: Assistance to agricultural producers and infrastructure companies is part of the Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) – Ukraine, implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It aims to help Ukraine increase its capacity to produce, store, transport, and export grain.

In September, the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) formalized partnerships with the Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business (UCAB), Ukrainian Grain Association (UZA), and Spike Marketing LLC. The signed memorandums outline plans to participate in international conferences and export exhibitions in and outside Ukraine, extend invitations to key buyers to visit Ukraine to familiarize themselves with the market, hold B2B meetings in potential markets, as well as improve the skills of employees of Ukrainian companies in the agricultural sector. 

• The Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), a business association, will develop market connections and new opportunities for exporting agricultural products, improve employee qualifications within agricultural companies, and inspire younger generations to get involved in agriculture. 

• The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), a business association, will focus on developing export sales and connections with international markets for grain and oil crop exports. 

• Spike Marketing LLC, who specializes in logistics and agricultural exports, will increase the export potential for farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

These strategic partnerships will contribute to increasing Ukrainian producers’ competitiveness in the global market and contribute to making Ukraine an attractive market for future business opportunities.

Background: Assistance to agricultural producers and infrastructure companies is part of the Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI) – Ukraine, implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). It aims to help Ukraine increase its capacity to produce, store, transport, and export grain.