More Ukrainian grain shipments under way to Libya

A cargo of 33,100 metric tons (MT) of Ukrainian corn is on its way to Libya after departing from a Ukrainian port last Saturday, The Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul reports.

On October 22, four vessels left Ukrainian ports carrying 106,017 MT of grain and other food products under the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

According to the Russian Interfax agency, the commercial vessels are heading for France, Greece, Libya, and Turkey.

Libya’s share of grain is being transferred by the vessel Bella Judy with a cargo of 33,100 MT.

Libya is considered one of the developing states that depend excessively on primary commodity exports, especially grains, as the country imports around 90% of its needs from grain due to poor local agricultural production.

With the membership of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Turkey, and the United Nations, the JCC was established in Istanbul on 27 July 2022 to facilitate the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor that allows vessels to export grain and related foodstuffs and fertilizers from Ukraine.