February 4, 2004

Ukraine To Import 700,000 MT Wheat

Ukraine needs to import 700,000 metric tons of milling wheat in February-March, Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Kirilenko said in Kiev Tuesday.

Kirilenko said Ukraine imported by the end of January 3.14 million tons of grain, with imports falling in January to 140,000 tons from 770,000 tons in December.

He said that imports from Kazakhstan in February-March would amount to 200,000-300,000 tons, while the rest would have to come from the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Ukraine's grain harvest in 2003 fell to just over 20 million tons from nearly 40 million tons in 2002 due to bad weather.

Grain imports in the current marketing season is estimated by the agriculture ministry at about four million tons.