January 17, 2012

Black Sea region grain producers export 30.7 million tonnes

In the first half of the 2011/12 season, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan exported 30.7 million tonnes of grain and could export 28.5 million more by the end, an industry analyst said on Monday (Jan 16).

Kiev-based ProAgro consultancy said in a report that the three top grain producers in the region had an exportable surplus of about 67 million tonnes this season.

ProAgro said that Russia, which harvested 92 million tonnes of grain in 2011, had exported 18 million the first six months of the July 2011-June 2012 season and might export 7-8 million in January-June.

ProAgro said Ukraine exported 9.2 million tonnes in July-December and was likely to export an additional 13-14 million tonnes in the second half. Ukraine harvested 56.4 million tonnes of grain in 2011.

Kazakhstan, which threshed a record 26 million tonnes of grain in 2011, had exported 3.5 million tonnes in July-December and could export 6.5 million tonnes in January-June.