Agricultural exports of Ukraine in the conditions of war.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the problems and challenges of agricultural exports of Ukraine in the conditions of war. It was determined that before the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the country occupied a leading position in the world production of major agricultural crops (sunflower, rapeseed, barley, corn, wheat, soybeans). A comprehensive assessment of Ukraine's export positions in the world was carried out and the countries most dependent on the import of Ukrainian grain were identified. The dynamics of the domestic export of cereals, legumes (with products of their processing) and flour for the period from 2020/2021 MR to August 2023/2024 MR have been analyzed. The author has researched and systematized the problems of reducing the volume of export deliveries of Ukrainian grain to the world market. It is substantiated that part of the problems and challenges are macroeconomic in nature and complicate the development of the country's economy, distort market pricing mechanisms and reduce the competitiveness of domestic products. Among them is the risk of losing the country's reputation as a reliable supplier; loss of markets and trading partners; destruction of logistics and transport infrastructure; reduction of production volumes; change in demand; limiting access to resources; devaluation of the national currency, etc. A systematic analysis of the problems and challenges complicating agricultural export made it possible to single out the main ones: reduction in agricultural production volumes and loss of resource potential; limited financial resources; disruption of logistics chains. Special attention was paid to the problem of sea transportation, which before the beginning of the war provided about 95 % of agricultural exports. The dynamics of Ukraine's export volumes within the framework of the "grain initiative" during 2022- 2023 are analyzed. The role and significance of its implementation to mitigate the negative impact of Russia's military aggression on domestic agricultural exports is described. The reasons for the importance of sea transportation for Ukrainian exports have been determined: large volumes of supplies and their low cost. Emphasis is placed on the need to export by sea, even without the participation of Russia. The author researched the measures implemented by the Ukrainian government to support agricultural production and export and justified the need to develop a set of measures to stabilize and further develop the industry and restore the export of agricultural products. Among them are the following: reduction of bureaucratic barriers; state support for the development of logistics infrastructure, optimization of taxation and lending; adaptation of agricultural production to EU requirements; increasing the quality and safety of products in accordance with international standards; technological development and digitalization; restoration and transition of the agricultural sector to sustainable production. Key words: agricultural production, export, agricultural export, agricultural export problems, "grain initiative".