July 3, 2012

Ukraine's 2011-12 grain exports up to 22.5 million tonnes

The Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC) grain lobby said on Monday (July 2) that in the 2011-12 July-June season, Ukraine, which harvested a record 56.7 million tonnes of grain in 2011, raised its exports to 22.5 million tonnes from 12.3 million tonnes in 2010-11.

UAC said in a report the volume included 13.5 million tonnes of corn, 5.6 million tonnes of wheat and 2.6 million tonnes of barley.

Ukraine imposed grain export quotas in the 2010-11 season, after a decrease in the grain harvest, in a bid to prevent a jump in local bread prices.

The former Soviet republic also introduced grain export duties in the first four months of the 2011-12 season and analysts have said this decision has reduced exports by a few million tonnes.

UAC president Leonid Kozachenko said last month the slow pace of exports in 2011-12 led to record high grain ending stocks of about 12 million tonnes at the beginning of the 2012-13 season.

The farm ministry says the stocks include 7.5 million tonnes of wheat, 2.2 million tonnes of corn and 1.4 million tonnes of barley.

The ministry also said Ukraine might increase exports up to 25 million tonnes in 2012-13 and planned no limits for the exports.