There were scores of onlookers at Foynes Port on Saturday last to watch at first hand the Panama-flagged ‘Navi Star,’ with her large shipment of Ukrainian grain on board, dock at the deep-sea port.
It was the first to arrive here since Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago. Its contents will be used by Irish farmers for animal feed as part of maiden trade voyages out of Ukraine under a UN-backed deal lifting Russia’s blockade of the Black Sea.
The sailing of the Navi Star to Ireland on behalf of the Cork-based grain and feed company R&H Hall, is seen as a positive milestone for the global grain supply chain which has been in crisis since the war began.
The Ukrainian Ambass-ador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko, who was present in Foynes, said: “I am happy that Ireland is among the first countries to receive Ukrainian corn by sea, as Ireland strongly supports Ukraine and is a true friend of the Ukrainian people.”
Ms Gerasko said Ireland had taken “extraordinary steps to provide a safe haven” for Ukrainian nationals fleeing the war, and the shipment of corn will lift the burden of uncertainty from the Irish farmer.
She argued Ukraine would fulfil “all of its oblig-ations” under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, but she stressed global food security would only be maintained “if Russia also sticks to the initiative’s provisions”.
Philip Lynch, senior trader with R&H Hall, thanked the captain and crew of the Navi Star for making the journey to Ireland.
He said the crew had made an “extraordinary effort since originally planning to leave Ukraine in February, and we hope that it is the first step in returning some degree of certainty to the global food supply chain in what remains a volatile situation.”
The 30,000-plus tonne grain cargo of the Navi Star is being held in storage in Foynes, ready for collection by its customers across the coming weeks.