March 1, 2012

As exports of 2011 grain harvests were likely to continue in the next marketing year, Ukraine's grain exports in July 2011-June 2012 marketing year are unlikely to exceed 20 million tonnes, the Ukraine Agrarian Confederation said Wednesday (Feb 29).

The Confederation said the current low pace of grain exports was caused by unusually severe frosts--which slowed work at sea ports--by low world prices, and by expectations that the government would impose limitations on the export of grain.

The ice situation at the ports is improving and grain exports in February will be about 40% more than in January, mostly corn. Exports of wheat are slow because a number of government officials have made vague statements that exports of grain might be limited, and exporters are holding back to see what transpires.

Wheat exports in February are unlikely to exceed 400,000 tonnes, the Confederation said.

In 2011 Ukraine's grain harvest in clean weight was 56.7 million tonnes. Ukraine's grain harvest in 2010 fell by 14.8% on the year to 39.23 million tonnes in clean weight because of drought.

Ukraine exported 12 million tonnes of grain between the beginning of the current marketing year, July 1, 2011, and February 14, which is 4.61 million tonnes more than in the same period in the previous marketing year.