The rhythmic export of vegetable oil by rail and sea is critically important not only for processing enterprises, but also for Ukrainian farmers. The timeliness of payments for delivered sunflower seeds, the availability of storage capacities for the new corn harvest, and the overall efficiency of utilizing export infrastructure directly depend on the stability of this logistics chain.
The Importance of Logistics for Payments to Farmers
Selling sunflower seeds to domestic oil extraction plants allows farms to receive necessary financial resources within the country. Farmers do not need to spend extra money on independent delivery of products to seaports or wait months for the return of foreign exchange earnings from direct exports. Timely settlements by processors provide farmers with vital working capital for the purchase of fuels, lubricants, and mineral fertilizers, as well as for paying employee wages and land shares, which is especially relevant during the harvest campaign.
Crop Preservation and Unloading Elevators
In parallel with sunflower processing, Ukraine is undergoing active harvesting of corn, which requires significant storage capacities and mandatory drying. Since sunflower seeds are extremely sensitive to high humidity and prone to self-heating, their long-term storage in inappropriate conditions can critically degrade the quality of the raw material. When oil plants rhythmically accept sunflower seeds, farmers get the opportunity to promptly remove them from farms, freeing up elevator capacities for grain crops.
Economic Effect and Infrastructure Synergy
Stepan Kapshuk, General Director of the Ukroliyaprom association, emphasizes that railway tanks for oil and grain hopper cars perform completely different tasks and do not compete for the same fleet. Moreover, the economic effect of oil transportation is significantly higher: according to the expert's calculations, one train with vegetable oil in terms of foreign exchange earnings and tax revenues can equal four to five trains with grain. To achieve balance, the association proposes introducing a separate technological schedule for the movement of oil trains at the Ukrzaliznytsia level and ensuring the unhindered passage of food tankers in ports.
