July 6, 2012

Ukraine's 2012-13 grain exports forecast down

The forecast for Ukraine's 2012-13 grain exports has been revised downward by Ukraine's Farm Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk to 22-23 million tonnes from the previous outlook of 22-27 million tonnes, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported on Thursday (July 5).

"We plan to export 22-23 million tonnes with the expected harvest of 47 million tonnes," Prysyazhnyuk said in Zhytomyr in central Ukraine.

In May, Prysyazhnyuk told Reuters Ukraine could harvest up to 50 million tonnes of grain in 2012 and may export 22-27 million tonnes in the 2012-13 season, which runs from July to June.

Ukraine exported 21.8 million tonnes of grain in the 2011/12 season after harvesting 56.7 million tonnes of grain last year.

Earlier this week Prysyazhnyuk said Ukraine was likely to cut its harvest of early grains - mostly wheat and barley - to 21-22 million tonnes from 34 million tonnes in 2011. He said a fall in grain yields in Ukraine's top grain producing area was the main reason for the smaller output.

Farms threshed 3.7 million tonnes of grain with an average yield of 1.76 tonnes per hectare as of July 4. By comparison, yields had reached 2.81 tonnes per hectare as of July 4, 2011.