The Ukrainian Agri Council opposes the ban announced by Ukrzaliznytsia from March 1 on the transportation of grain in bulk in semi-wagons and calls on the UZ to refrain from this step until the end of martial law, or to remove this rule at all.

In order to improve railway logistics after February 24, 2022, the Government allowed the use of semi-wagons for grain transportation. Before that, there was an order of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, which provided that the transportation of grain or products that need protection from atmospheric precipitation is carried out in covered or specialized wagons (hopper grain trucks).

Adherence to transportation technology became the main argument of the UZ for returning the ban, this was announced on February 8, 2023 during the Coordination Council on Logistics in Agriculture under the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, -  Vyacheslav Yeromin, a member of the UZ board, said. Representatives of agricultural associations, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, transporters and agricultural producers were also present at the meeting.

"Transportation of grain in semi-wagons is prohibited. This norm was suspended when a shortage of grain trucks appeared at the beginning of a full-scale invasion. Today there is no such shortage. Extension of the  use of semi-wagons owned by UZ is necessary in order to satisfy those customers who cannot transport or unload grain for technical reasons," said Vyacheslav Yeromin, a member of the UZ board .

In the UAC, they called to leave the norms of transportation by semi-wagons in force until the end of the war, as well as to review the technical regulations for the use of semi-wagons, in order to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in this area.

"Semi-wagons are significantly cheaper than grain wagons. Now the situation looks like there is an attempt to artificially increase the demand for grain wagons. At a time when the cost of transportation is constantly increasing, and farmers had a frankly unprofitable year, UZ wants to raise the price of transportation in this way. Our proposal is to permit the use of semi-wagons for grain transportation at least until the end of martial law. We are also ready to help from the legal side in order to cancel this rule altogether", - emphasized the Deputy Chairman of the UAC Dmytro Kokhan.

Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solsky called on Ukrzaliznytsia and market participants to continue the dialogue.

"I want to remind you that, unfortunately, the war is not over yet and it is not clear what will happen tomorrow. Agriculture has never been in the situation like now. I believe that it is important for farmers to be able to grow crops and export it next year as well, and not only that in the next 2-3 months from last year's harvest," Mykola Solsky added