On September 14-16, the Czech Republic (Prague), which presides over the Council of the European Union, held an informal meeting of the ministers of agriculture of EU member states, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine.
As part of the meeting, a plenary session 'Ensuring food security – the role of EU agriculture and food industry in sustainable global food production' was held, during which the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solskyi presented a plan for deepening the cooperation of the 'Paths of Solidarity' initiative.
During his speech, the Minister emphasized that the export routes of Ukrainian agricultural products through the countries of the European Union should become permanent and main.
Mykola Solsky named a clear list of necessary initiatives needed to implement this plan. First of all, according to him, it is necessary to build terminal complexes on our border with EU countries, which will include grain conveyors and with the help of which Ukrainian grain will be transported without interruption. The construction of such infrastructure is due to the difference between Ukrainian and European tracks. Each such terminal will be able to transport up to 2 million tons of grain per year.
'The next initiative that needs to be implemented is the construction of a pipeline for the transportation of vegetable oils. The pipeline will connect the loading terminal on the territory of Ukraine and the unloading terminal in the European seaport. According to calculations, the capacity of such transportation will be 2 million tons per year,' said Mykola Solskyi.
The minister informed his colleagues that this project has already crossed the starting point, as a memorandum regarding the construction of such a pipeline was signed with Polish colleagues last week.
'A significant problem is the insufficient number of railway rolling stock in the EU countries that can transport grain, as well as the corresponding trucks,' the Minister noted, adding that there are 22,400 grain wagons operating in Ukraine, and approximately 12,000 in all EU countries . Therefore, an increase in the number of such wagons by 3,640 units and trucks by 6,000 units will allow additional transportation of up to 10 million tons of grain per year.
It is also necessary to allocate railway routes for the passage of Ukrainian grain wagons with carts modified to the standard of European tracks through the territories of Poland and Germany to the Polish port of Gdansk and the German ports of Rostock and Hamburg, noted Mykola Solskyi.
The minister appealed to his European colleagues to assist in the implementation of new export routes, because the food security of the whole world depends on them. In particular, Mykola Solsky proposed to determine possible routes and timetables for Ukrainian grain wagons through the territories of Poland and Germany, asked to provide subsidies of up to 50 percent for the production of trucks and railway rolling stock intended for grain transportation, and also provide financial support from the EU for the construction of a complex of terminals and a pipeline for vegetable oils and grain transshipment terminals.
Image Credit: Ukraine Agriculture Ministry
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