By Pavel Polityuk
KYIV, July 15 (Reuters) - Ukraine will do everything possible to protect its seaports and guarantee grain exports at no less than last season's level, its deputy economy minister, Taras Vysotskiy, told Reuters on Wednesday.
Russia has sharply stepped up attacks in recent weeks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports' infrastructure and on cargo vessels entering Odesa ports to export grain and other agricultural goods.
Brokers say shipowners are refusing to enter Ukrainian ports because of sharply increased war risks, while traders have suspended purchases.
"The state recognises the priority of maintaining agricultural exports," Vysotskiy said.
"It will be difficult, but we will do everything possible to preserve minimum guaranteed export volumes to support international food security at a level no lower than last year," he added.
Before the recent attacks, Ukraine forecast exports at around 43 million metric tons in the 2026/27 season, which started in July. Last year it exported more than 37 million tons.
The country's main farmers' union, UAC, said that the country had lost about a third of its capacity to export grain via its vital Black Sea ports due to intensifying Russian missile and drone attacks.
More than four years into its war with Russia, agricultural exports like grains and vegetable oils remain Ukraine's biggest source of foreign currency earnings, with more than 90% shipped through three ports in the southern Odesa region.
HIGH RISKS
Both Moscow and Kyiv are now stepping up attacks on key revenue sources, with Ukrainian forces hitting Russian energy infrastructure including oil tankers and Russia intensifying its attacks on the Black Sea ports in recent weeks.
An industry source told Reuters on Wednesday that four of Ukraine's 13 large grain export terminals had suspended grain purchases due to attacks.
At least one terminal has halted export loadings after a chartered vessel withdrew from the freight contract, the second source said.
Another source said some shipowners were refusing to enter Ukrainian ports due to fears of attacks.
"Today, a large number of shipowners said they were avoiding Ukrainian ports," ASAP Agri consultancy quoted Taras Panasyuk, co-owner and head of freight brokerage at its strategic partner Atria Brokers, as saying.
"Existing bookings are being reviewed, while some shipowners have already started cancelling fixtures," he added.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Peter Graff and Mark Porter)
