August 19, 2008

Ukraine reports low grain quality, lack of storage

The analysis of the grain delivered August 13 by Ukrainian framers to elevators shows that the proportion of feed grain in the total harvest is even higher than the two thirds expected by the Agriculture Ministry, Head of the State Agricultural Products Quality Commission Vasily Melnik said Monday (August 18).

Melnik said out of the total amount of grain delivered by farmers to elevators to August 13, 54.9 percent was 6th grade wheat, 12.4 percent fifth grade wheat and 21 percent fourth grade wheat, thus totalling 88.3 percent.

Melnik also said the total amount of 2008-harvested grain delivered to elevators to date was 10.2 million tonnes, which equalled 41.84 percent of the total available grain storage capacity in the country.

The total amount of grain delivered to elevators to date included 6.2 million tonnes of wheat, 3.8 million tonnes of barley, 134,100 tonnes of rye, 73,600 tonnes of beans and 2.3 million tonnes of rapeseed.