May 20, 2011

 

Ukraine to harvest over 45 million tonnes of grain

 

 

Ukraine will harvest more than 45 million tonnes of grain this year, up from the 39.2 million-tonne crop last year which was hit by severe drought, according to First Deputy Agriculture Minister Mykola Bezugly.

 

"Regional authorities have forecast 45 million tonnes," he said. "But the actual harvest will be significantly higher than the regional governments' forecast."

 

In April, the Farm Ministry raised its grain harvest forecast to 'up to 45 million tonnes' from the previous outlook of 42-43 million tonnes. The harvest has been forecasted at about 44 million tonnes.

 

Bezugly gave no reason for the new forecast but said that Ukrainian grains had so far received enough moisture to produce a good harvest.

 

The cold and dry weather this spring had already affected the harvest of spring grains.

 

Tetyana Adamenko, head of the agricultural department of Ukraine's state weather centre, said spring crops needed more rain to improve their state while most winter crops were in good and satisfactory condition.

 

Ukraine, which consumes about 26 million tonnes of grain per season, saw its harvest reduced to 39.2 million tonnes in 2010 from 46 million in 2009 due to a drought which severely hit Black Sea grain producers.

 

The grain harvest in the neighbouring Russia fell by a third and the country, among the world's leading grain exporters, banned exports in the 2010-11 season.

 

Ukraine, which remains the only significant grain exporter in the Black Sea region this season, imposed grain export restrictions in October to prevent a jump in local bread prices, but it promises to cancel all curbs in the near future.

 

In April, Ukraine cancelled quotas imposed on maize and Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told Reuters last week that wheat quotas were likely to be lifted soon.

 

Bezugly said such a decision could be approved next week.

 

"The ministry has proposed the government lifting export quotas for wheat and barley. The quotas could be cancelled at the next Cabinet meeting."

 

However, it has been noted that Ukraine does not have significant stocks of wheat and barley to boost shipments in coming weeks.

 

According to Ukraine's State Statistics Service, the country's grain stocks included 3.8 million tonnes of wheat and 1.0 million tonnes of barley and the volume.

 

Ukraine exported about 9 million tonnes of grain in the first 10 months of the 2010-11 season which runs from July to June. The former Soviet republic sold abroad about 19.6 million tonnes of grain in the same period a season earlier.