Poland’s grain exports by sea in 2022/2023 season up 70 per cent

In the whole season from July 2022 to the end of June 2023, more than 6.6 million tonnes of grain were exported via the four main Polish seaports, compared to nearly 3.9 million tonnes in the previous season, i.e. 70 per cent more year-on-year, deputy director of the National Agricultural Support Centre Marcin Wroński told PAP.

According to the deputy director general of the National Agricultural Support Centre, in the 2021/2022 season, the main exports through the country’s seaports were wheat, which was exported in excess of 4.4 million tonnes against nearly 2.1 million tonnes, and maize in excess of 2 million tonnes against about 1.3 million tonnes in the previous season. In addition, 74,000 tonnes of triticale, 68,000 tonnes of rye, 64,000 tonnes of barley and 16,000 tonnes of oats were exported via the Baltic ports.

Exports of cereals took place primarily through the seaport of Gdynia, through which more than half of the export volume by sea (52 per cent), i.e. almost 3.5 million tonnes of cereals, was exported. Approximately 2 million tonnes of cereals were sold abroad through the port of Gdańsk (31 per cent of the volume). Exports through the seaport of Szczecin-Świnoujście were smaller, with approximately 1.1 million tonnes of cereals (17% of the volume).

– The very large, 70 per cent increase in the volume of grain exported by sea in the 2022/2023 season was possible because, in order to solve the problem of the surplus of grain on the domestic market, the Polish government took measures aimed at improving logistics and transport capacities, Wroński pointed out.

He pointed out that financial incentives for farmers, in the form of grain subsidies, also played a big role, which was reflected in the growing export volume through the Baltic Sea wharves from month to month.

The record months for grain exports by sea were May and June. In May, 882 thousand tonnes of cereals were exported through the ports of Gdynia, Gdańsk, Świnoujście and Szczecin, and in June as much as 937 thousand tonnes.

– We have never had such a result as in June,” emphasised the deputy head of NEPA.

At the same time, he noted that exports of cereals are also carried out through smaller ports, such as Kołobrzeg, so, if we add up all ports, the volume for June is close to 1 million tonnes,” Wroński noted. “So the claim by opposition politicians that handling 1 million tonnes of grain in Polish ports in a month is impossible has proved untrue,” he said. – the deputy director stated.

– If we add to the export by sea the export by road and rail, then in the 2022/2023 season companies exported more than 11 million tonnes of grain from Poland and this is undoubtedly a record result in the history of Polish grain trade, Wroński stressed.

Source: PortalMorski.pl