KYIV: Ukraine’s overall waterborne food exports totaled 5.9 million metric tons in May including

5.1 million tons shipped through its Black Sea ports and 800,000 tons sent via the River Danube, brokers said on Wednesday.

Spike Brokers, which tracks and publishes export statistics, gave no comparative data.

The UGA traders union said last month that maritime food exports in April totaled 6.4 million tons.

UGA said in a separate statement on Wednesday that in May Ukraine exported 3.6 million tons of corn, 1.65 million tonnes of wheat, 624,000 tons of sunflower oil, 209,000 tonnes of barley and 107,000 tons of soybeans via seaports and land routes.

Ukraine typically sends about 95% of its grain exports via its Black Sea ports.

The Ukrainian agriculture ministry said earlier on Wednesday grain exports in the 2023/24 July-June marketing season had reached 47.4 million tons by June 5, up from 45.6 million tons exported by the same date in 2023.

Ukraine is a major global grain and oilseed grower and exporter, but its harvests and exports have declined since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The agriculture ministry has said Ukraine lost about 30% of the country’s total potential of the agricultural sector and almost 20% of agricultural land was occupied.