Grain wholesale in the context of Ukraine’s integration into the EU

Abstract

The article is devoted to the peculiarities of the development of grain wholesale trade in the context of Ukraine's integration into the EU. It is determined that the wholesale trade in Ukrainian grain occupies a leading position in the production and export of agricultural products in the world market, and the critical direction of development is Ukraine's integration into the EU. The current state of Ukraine's grain wholesale trade in the EU market is determined, the volume of grain exports to the EU countries is estimated, fundamental problems are identified, and directions of development of grain wholesale trade in the context of Ukraine's integration into the EU are generalized. The article analyses the volumes of grain exports by Ukraine to the EU countries in 2022, including more than 53 million tons of grain: wheat - 20.7 million tons, corn - 26.1 million tons, rye - 314 thousand tons, and 6.6 million tons of other grains. The most significant Ukrainian grain exports were to the EU countries: Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Romania, Poland, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, and others. The potential of the grain market in Ukraine is substantiated, and its place in the world rankings of production and export of wheat and corn as the main types of Ukrainian grain is determined. It is determined that the most significant export potential in terms of wheat is in such countries as: Australia with an export-to-production ratio of 79.6%, Argentina - 58.4%, Ukraine - 54.1%, the USA - 46.5%; in terms of corn, it is Ukraine - 96.2% and Argentina 60%. It is outlined that the quality of Ukrainian grain and its adaptation to the requirements of the EU countries remains a problem. It is noted that in developed European countries, the protein and gluten content is not the basis for classifying grain quality and is taken into account only when determining the price of high-quality milling wheat, especially durum wheat. The critical issues in the grain wholesale trade are as follows: assessing the quality of Ukrainian grain and adapting it to the requirements of the EU countries; integrating the Ukrainian transport system into the European one; ensuring compatibility of the transport systems of Ukraine and the EU; strengthening cooperation with European transport companies; and developing governmental decisions between Ukraine and the EU countries to address grain export issues. One of the most promising areas of grain wholesale development is the establishment of grain transportation between Ukraine and the EU countries using modern information support. Keywords: wholesale trade, grain, production, export, transportation, Ukraine, European Union, integration, martial law, problems, ways of development.