After Kyiv set up its own corridor in the Black Sea following Russia’s withdrawal from the U.N.-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2023, shippers rushed to get grain to market, leading to higher export volumes in recent months. The larger volumes were also due to large backlogs of grain traders had to sell, including from a record-high harvest in 2021. In December 2023 and January of this year, grain exports hit 5.3 million metric tons and 5.4 million metric tons respectively. Grain exports could reach 6 million metric tons in April — Ukraine has already exported over 3 million tons by mid-month, according to the Agriculture Ministry. However, the March decrease is a harbinger for a further slowdown this year as traders have sold off what was left and a lower harvest is predicted for the coming season.