Ukraine and Russia have formally signed an agreement which will pave the way for Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea.

The deal, which will also allow Russian grain and fertiliser to be exported, will help stabilise spiralling food prices worldwide and stave off famine, the United Nations (UN) has said.

The agreement, signed in Turkey, will allow for what the UN has said are “significant volumes” of commercial food exports from three of Ukraine’s ports in the Black Sea - Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.

A joint co-ordination centre has been established to monitor the implementation of the deal.

Mykhailo Podolyak, the advisor to the head of the office of the Ukrainian president, has said that Ukraine has not signed any documents with Russia, but has signed an agreement with Turkey, where the deal was brokered, and the UN, and has undertaken obligations to them.

Russia has signed a similar agreement with Turkey and the UN, he said.

He also said that there will be no transport escort of Ukrainian vessels by Russian ships “and no presence of Russian representatives in our ports”.

He warned that in the event of provocations, Ukraine will mount “an immediate military response”.

“All inspections of transport ships will be carried out by joint groups in Turkish waters in the event of such a need,” he said.

Blockade

Thousands of tonnes of grain currently remain blockaded at Ukraine’s ports, in grain silos and on ships.

As reported in this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, grain markets remain volatile and, in recent weeks, price pressure has been driven by optimism that a deal could be agreed to free up Ukrainian grain exports.

Unprecedented

UN Secretary António Guterres has said the deal is an “unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in bloody conflict. But that conflict continues.”

“The beacon of hope on the Black Sea is shining bright today, thanks to the collective efforts of so many. In these trying and turbulent times for the region and our globe, let that beacon guide the way towards easing human suffering and securing peace.”

Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show that last year, Ireland imported 189,177t of maize from Ukraine. This accounted for 16% of maize imports in 2021.