Ukraine's grain exports to reach 21 million tonnes

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy expects Ukraine to export 20-21 million tonnes of grain in the 2010/2011 marketing year.

Deputy Minister Ivan Demchak announced this during a roundtable at the Ministry of Agrarian Policy on the result of the sowing campaign. According to the ministry, Ukraine exported 19.943 million tonnes of grain as at June 2, 2010. The ministry expects exports of additional 0.850 million tonnes of grain by the end of June.

"We forecast that approximately the same amount of grain can be exported in the next marketing year which will start shortly - some 20-21 million tonnes we will have for exports," he said.

Demchak said the grain harvest is not likely to be lower than the harvest of 2009 - some 46 million tonnes. The deputy minister said the harvest can be secured for corn crops.

According to earlier media reports, the Ukrainian Grain Association expects Ukraine to export between 18 million tonnes and 20 million tonnes of grain in the 2010/2011 marking year (July 2010 - June 2011).

The Ukrainian Grain Association has said Ukraine exported 20.2 million tonnes of grain in the 2009/2010 marketing year as at early June.

Ukraine harvested 46 million tonnes of grain in 2009.