cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/901974
Archived version: https://archive.ph/RKu83
Archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20230801010120/https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/ukraine-croatia-agree-use-croatian-ports-grain-exports-2023-07-31/
May be simple geography? IIRC the largest buyers of the grain are African countries, so departing port in the Baltic versus the Mediterranean would probably add significantly to time and cost.
They can also get all the way to Croatia on the Danube, so it’s actually “closer” than the Baltic in terms of time and cost, most likely.
Another option is the Danube to the Rhine, exiting into the North Sea. That’s a bit of a journey, though. The YouTube video that BrikoX shared has more details.