MOSCOW, RUSSIA — Grain movements by the Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port Group were down 21% in the first four months of the year to 1.6 million tonnes, the group said on May 25.

Total consolidated cargo turnover was 47.4 million tonnes, an increase of 2.8% or 1.3 million tonnes from the same time period a year earlier. Bulk cargo, which includes grain, accounted for 3.28 million tonnes, a decrease of 7.2% from a year earlier.

“The volume growth trend persists in the beginning of the second quarter of 2015, but the growth rates are slowing down,” said Chief Executive Officer Sultan Batov. “The slowdown is caused by crude oil volumes returning to monthly averages as the effect of reduced export duties on crude weakens, and by falling grain volumes affected by wheat export duties, as well as by weakening demand for and lower supply of imported goods, which affects container traffic.

NCSP Group is the largest port operator in Russia and the third-largest in Europe, in terms of cargo turnover.