January 13, 2011

Ukraine allocates grain-export quotas

Ukraine's Economy and Trade Ministry distributed all quota allowances for grain exports covering the period to end-March, according to the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation.

The government will probably consider allocating additional allowances, the producers' group said on its website, quoting the ministry. A timescale was not provided.

Ukraine may export an additional five million tonnes of grain before the end of the marketing season on June 30, Sergey Stoianov, director of the confederation, said in the statement.

Ukraine imposed grain export limits in October. In December, it extended them to the end of March after drought damaged its crop and that of Russia, driving up world prices. The government wanted to keep in check domestic food prices and the price of feed grain.