Ukrainian barley will be exported through Romania, and Lithuania wants financial support from the EU to transport grain through its ports.

Due to the increased freight costs and the threat of Russian attacks on the Danube port infrastructure, the Ukrainian barley export market is shifting to road and rail logistics, agricultural market participants reported.

“Even the farmers of the central regions began to be interested in truck deliveries of barley to Romania – logistics are cheaper,” analysts noted.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport of Lithuania, Marius Skuodis, said that grain transportation from Ukraine through the port of Lithuania requires economic assistance from the EU.

“If the economic issue is resolved, then there are already political decisions regarding the procedures to reduce the transportation time. EU aid has been allocated for transportation through Moldova,” the minister said.

He is convinced that the financial assistance in this case will be small compared to the support Lithuania provides to Ukraine. Skuodis reminded that grain from Ukraine has not been transported through Lithuania recently due to high logistics costs.