September 16, 2010

Ukraine's grain inventories show decrease

Grain inventories in Ukraine were down 30% compared to September 1, 2009, on the back of a tough winter and summer, according to the state statistics committee.

The country's agricultural enterprises, grain storage and processing enterprises stocked 18.2 million tonnes of grains, mainly 11.9 million tonnes of wheat and four million tonnes of barley.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, 31.13 million tonnes of grain was harvested in Ukraine from an area of 12.36 million hectares, accounting for 84% of the planned harvest areas.

Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk said the country's harvest would be about 40 million tonnes.

Leading wheat production areas in Ukraine were hit by severe frosts in winter and extreme heat in summer.

According to earlier reports, Ukraine, one of the world's largest exporters, would export about 15 million tonnes of grain this season. Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said the government would not restrict export of grain as the country had sufficient supplies for domestic needs.