The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to a significant bottleneck in the Black Sea region, with Ukrainians exporting their massive grain stocks on land. This has created one of the biggest bottlenecks in the region, with drivers waiting for five to seven days at the Giurgiulesti border crossing in Moldova. The Romanian customs clearance area can’t fit all the drivers, so most of the waiting happens in Moldova, a crucial transit point for Ukrainian farm produce.
The drivers are gathered by the road in groups, looking drained, and using bushes for toilets and water canisters for showers. Many have traveled hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine just to be stuck here. The average waiting time has almost doubled since September, from 137 hours to 269. This crisis affects Moldovan farmers, the backbone of Moldova’s economy, as it has become harder to offload grain. Since 2022, Moldova’s cereal export countries have dropped from 25 to 14, and the Moldovan market is flooded.
The crisis also affects Moldovan farmers, who are the backbone of Moldova’s economy. They cannot compete with cheap Ukrainian grain, and since 2022, Moldova’s cereal export countries have dropped from 25 to 14. The Ukrainians have substantial stockpiles from the 2022 harvest and are also in the midst of the 2023 harvest, resulting in a flood in the Moldovan market. Farming in Moldova is becoming increasingly difficult, not just in the Black Sea region, and many are predicted to head toward bankruptcy in the coming years.
To solve the crisis, the Moldovan government is creating an electronic queue system connected to the Ukrainian and Romanian customs services. Meanwhile, the drivers in the line keep calling their relatives and hearing about bombings, so even if they must be stuck at the border for days, they are safe here.
In conclusion, the ongoing war in Ukraine has led to a significant bottleneck in the Black Sea region, with Ukrainians exporting their massive grain stocks on land. The situation has caused a global problem, with many farmers facing financial difficulties and the possibility of bankruptcy in the coming years.