Grain and agricultural products are among the highest-volume cargoes in European short-sea shipping – and among those with the tightest window. The harvest sets the tempo, not the freight market: when the Baltic and the Black Sea look for tonnage at the same time, the price is decided weeks before the first parcel loads.
Typical cargoes
- Wheat, barley, rye, maize
- Rapeseed, sunflower seed and meal
- Animal feed, pellets, beet pulp
- Pulses and seed in bags or big bags
What matters
- Holds to grain standard: clean, dry, odour-free – the hold inspection before loading is the critical point, not the rate.
- Previous cargo and cleaning effort belong on the table before the fixture, otherwise someone ends up paying for waiting time in port.
- Moisture and the ventilation regime during the voyage; sweat is a real issue on north-south trades.
- Pronounced seasonality – enquire only at harvest and you buy the harvest market along with the freight.
For recurring programmes a Contract of Affreightment is usually the calmer route than the spot market: you secure utilisation and rate before the season turns the market.
Frequently asked
What vessel sizes do you use for grain in the short-sea trade?
In European short-sea we work mainly with multipurpose vessels of roughly 4,000 to 6,000 dwt. That size suits the parcel volumes and the draft restrictions of most Baltic and Adriatic ports; for larger lots we draw on handysize tonnage from our network.
When should tonnage be booked for the grain season?
Well before the harvest. Once Baltic and Black Sea programmes start at the same time, demand for suitable holds rises faster than supply – fixtures made in that phase are more expensive and more tightly scheduled than fixtures made some weeks earlier.
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