Ukrainian grain market switches to large-capacity vessels

Low-capacity vessels will no longer be in demand as the market switches to large-capacity ones. This was informed by Vladimir Osadchuk, CEO of COFCO Agri Ukraine, within the framework of the conference Grain logistics and terminals of Ukraine 2019, Elevatorist.com reports.

According to him, primarily small ports should consider this trend.

"The market today is narrowing so that if it was once prestigious to load vessels with a total deadweight of 25 thousand tons, it is now becoming popular to load vessels of over 70 thousand tons DW. The market is switching to large-capacity ships and the era of 25-thousand Handysize, followed by Handymax and Panamax, is over," said Vladimir Osadchuk.

He also recommends non-deepwater ports to develop the direction of cabotage services to load large-capacity vessels.

As previously reported, about USD 1 billion of investment is expected in the maritime industry in the coming encouraged by the investment projects of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Administration (USPA).