September 10, 2009

Ukraine is likely to harvest 45 million tonnes of grain this year and export 18 million-20 million tonnes in the 2009-10 (July-June) marketing year, Agriculture Minister Yury Melnik said in Kiev Wednesday, the Agriculture Ministry's press service reports.

The ministry said earlier that if its forecast of grain harvest this year proved correct at 42 million-43 million tonnes, grain exports in the 2009-10 marketing year would be 17 million tonnes.

Melnik also said Ukraine exported 4.8 million tonnes of grain to date since the beginning of the current marketing year, July 1.

Ukraine harvested 53.3 million tonnes of grain in 2008 and exported 24.5 million tonnes of grain in the 2008-09 marketing year.