April 14, 2009

Ukraine's Agriculture Minister on Monday (Apr 13) raised the country's 2009 grain production forecast to 48 million tonnes from the previous estimation of 45 million tonnes.

Agriculture Minister Yuri Melnyk gave no detailed crop by commodity, but agriculture officials said last month the 2009 wheat crop was likely to exceed 20 million tonnes and corn 13-14 million tonnes.

Analysts, however, estimated the 2009 grain crop at 39.6 million tonnes, including 19.1 million tonnes of wheat, 10 million tonnes of barley and 7.6 million tonnes of corn.

Melnyk said farms had nearly completed the 2009 early grain sowing with 4.4 million hectares.

According to the ministry's data, farms had sown 3.428 million hectares to spring barley and 301,000 to spring wheat as of April 12. Ukraine plans to sow a total of 7.7 million hectares to spring grain this year.

Ukraine harvested a record 53.3 million tonnes of grain in 2008, including 25.9 million tonnes of wheat, 12.6 million tonnes of barley, and 11.4 million tonnes of corn.

Melnyk said the 2008 record harvest would allow exports of about 25 million tonnes, and exports have currently reached 19.2 million tonnes.

Analysts expect exports to reach 21 million tonnes this year.