FOB Novorossiysk and CIF grain delivery
MOSTAGRO loads Russian wheat, barley and corn at Novorossiysk, Tuapse, Taman, Azov and Rostov-on-Don, then delivers FOB, CIF, CFR or DAP. Chartering, SGS inspection, laycan and NOR sit on the same desk as the commercial offer.
- Black Sea and Azov load ports, in-house chartering
- Handysize to Panamax · Capesize when the stem requires it
- B/L, phytosanitary, CoO and SGS on every lot
Where Russian grain actually goes on the water
Novorossiysk is the default FOB port for milling-wheat stems. It takes Handysize through Panamax with regular liner and tramp coverage into Turkey, Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean. Tuapse and Taman are used when Novorossiysk berths are congested or when a buyer already has a stem working at those terminals. Azov and Rostov-on-Don serve Sea of Azov / Don programmes — smaller vessels, often feed barley and corn, and a useful option when Black Sea queues stretch laycan.
The commercial offer names the load port. We do not switch a contracted Novorossiysk FOB stem to an Azov berth without a written variation. Rail and truck from the elevator network are planned against that named port, which is why origination and chartering sit in the same company — see how MOSTAGRO originates grain and the five-step loading process.
Load ports we work
Named on the sales contract. Substitution only by written agreement.
| Novorossiysk | Black Sea · default FOB port for milling wheat |
|---|---|
| Tuapse | Black Sea · overflow and dedicated stems |
| Taman | Black Sea · deep-water grain terminal programmes |
| Azov | Sea of Azov · Handysize / smaller bulk |
| Rostov-on-Don | Don / inland port · Azov-sea access |
Vessel sizes from Handysize to Panamax
Bulk wheat for mills usually moves Handysize (from about 3,000 MT on Azov-class stems) through Supramax and into Panamax at around 60,000 MT. Capesize is used when a programme — typically corn or a combined wheat/barley stem — justifies the draft and the discharge port can take it. Bagged cargoes for Afghanistan DAP are a different geometry: 500 MT minimum in 50 kg or 1 MT big-bags, moved overland via Iran rather than into a Panamax hold.
The in-house chartering desk coordinates demurrage, laycan and NOR with the carrier. Laycan is the window in which the vessel must present. NOR (notice of readiness) is the master's declaration that the ship is ready to load; time starts according to the charter party, not according to a WhatsApp message. Demurrage accrues if loading overruns the allowed laytime; dispatch may credit the opposite. Buyers on FOB need to understand those clocks because they often own the vessel. Buyers on CIF still need to know them because discharge port congestion is their problem after arrival.
A worked example of a load-port sale is FOB Novorossiysk. A worked example of a freight-included mill stem is milling wheat CIF Mersin, the corridor most Turkey grain buyers use for 12.5% protein bread wheat.
Bulk, bags, big-bags, private label
Named on the contract. Mixing bulk and bags on one B/L only when both parties agree in writing.
Bulk in hold
Loose grain loaded into the vessel's hold. Lowest unit cost for mill and feed stems. Typical 3,000–60,000 MT. Standard for FOB Novorossiysk and CIF Mediterranean discharge.
50 kg PP bags
Woven polypropylene, pallets or slings. Used by mills without silo intake, food-aid programmes, and inland Afghanistan. Moisture protection via liner where specified.
1 MT big-bags
FIBC with inner liner. Handling without a silo; common on DAP truck programmes. Minimum 500 MT on bagged stems.
Private label
Buyer mark printed on 50 kg bags where the mill or distributor wants its own brand at destination. Artwork and plate lead time must sit inside the laycan, not after NOR.
FOB, CIF, CFR and DAP in plain English
Incoterms allocate cost and risk. They are not a marketing slogan. MOSTAGRO sells on four of them. If a buyer writes "CIF Novorossiysk" we will send it back — Novorossiysk is a load port, so the term is FOB Novorossiysk or CIF discharge port.
| Term | What the buyer gets | What the buyer still owns |
|---|---|---|
| FOB | Grain loaded on the nominated vessel at the named Russian port (usually Novorossiysk). Export clearance, loading, SGS at load port. | Freight, insurance, post-loading risk, discharge, demurrage after NOR on the buyer's vessel. |
| CIF | Grain plus carriage and insurance to the named discharge port (Mersin, Marmara, Damietta, Bandar Abbas, and others). Load-port documents as FOB. | Risk still passes on loading. Discharge, import clearance, inland haulage. Freight is in the price; the vessel is not the buyer's to fix. |
| CFR | Same as CIF on carriage to the named port, without insurance in the MOSTAGRO invoice. | Insurance, plus everything the CIF buyer owns after loading. |
| DAP | Delivered at the named inland place — used for Afghanistan via Iran. Bags or big-bags. Truck, not a Panamax. | Unloading at the named place, import formalities unless the contract says otherwise. |
Milling wheat 12.5% protein is most often FOB Novorossiysk or CIF Mersin. Send the term with the volume when you request a quote — a price without an Incoterm is not a price.
B/L, phytosanitary, CoO, SGS — and the NOR clock
Escrow releases against a defined set: original bill of lading, phytosanitary certificate, certificate of origin, and the SGS (or BlaCtrl) inspection report. Those four are the minimum on a MOSTAGRO stem. Tender desks — GASC-type and similar — often add a radioactivity declaration and a packing list. We issue what the contract lists; we do not invent extra certificates after NOR to decorate a file.
Demurrage, laycan and NOR are operational, not decorative. Laycan is agreed when the vessel is nominated. NOR is tendered when the ship is ready in all respects. If loading overruns allowed laytime, demurrage follows the charter party. The chartering desk runs those clocks with the carrier so the commercial trader is not guessing. On FOB the buyer usually owns the ship and therefore owns most of that risk after the grain crosses the rail. On CIF MOSTAGRO owns the sea carriage to the named port; the buyer still needs a discharge plan that does not turn a cheap CIF into an expensive wait at anchorage.
- Bill of lading — title document for escrow release
- Phytosanitary certificate — plant-health clearance
- Certificate of origin — Russian origin for customs
- SGS / BlaCtrl pre-shipment inspection — quality against contract
Route notes and related pages
Logistics — common questions
Which Russian ports does MOSTAGRO load grain from?
Load ports are Novorossiysk, Tuapse and Taman on the Black Sea, plus Azov and Rostov-on-Don on the Sea of Azov / Don. Novorossiysk is the default FOB port for milling-wheat stems.
What does the buyer get under FOB versus CIF?
FOB: grain is loaded on the nominated vessel at the Russian port; the buyer takes freight, insurance and post-loading risk. CIF: MOSTAGRO arranges carriage and insurance to the named discharge port; risk still passes on loading, but the buyer does not have to fix the vessel. CFR is CIF without insurance. DAP is used for inland Afghanistan.
Do you coordinate laycan, NOR and demurrage?
Yes. The in-house chartering desk works laycan windows, notice of readiness and demurrage / dispatch with the carrier on FOB and CIF stems, from Handysize through Panamax and Capesize when the volume requires it.
Price a FOB Novorossiysk or CIF stem
Send grade, volume, port and Incoterms — quote within 24 hours.