How does central Europe’s ban impact Ukrainian grain exports?

Hot item: Farmers take a break from sowing their oat field in Ukraine. The country’s grain is exempt from EU customs duties, which has made it cheaper than local production. — AFP

UKRAINE has become entirely dependent on alternative European Union (EU) routes for its grain exports after Russia last month exited a year-long deal that had allowed them to be shipped safely via its Black Sea ports.

This has exacerbated Brussels’ efforts to find a balance between helping Ukraine with the demand of five eastern EU member states to protect their own markets by extending a ban on domestic sales of Ukrainian grain till at least the end of 2023.