August 31, 2022

 

Ukraine's agriculture exports expected to double in next few months

 

 

Mykola Solsky, Ukraine's Agriculture Minister said as the country's sea ports gradually reopen, Ukraine's agricultural exports could increase between 6 million to 6.5 million tonnes in October, which would be a twofold increase from the volume recorded in July, Reuters reported.

 

The largest exporter of grains, oilseeds, and vegetable oils in the world, Ukraine has seen a decline in exports this year as a result of the destruction of some agricultural land by Russia's invasion and the closure of its Black Sea ports.

 

Since three Black Sea ports were opened at the end of July as part of a deal between Moscow and Kyiv, mediated by the United Nations and Turkey, exports have increased.

 

According to official projections, Ukraine's 2022 grain harvest will drop from a record 86 million tonnes in 2021 to 50 million tonnes. The harvest may include 19 million tonnes of wheat, half of which will be exported, and 25 million to 27 million tonnes of corn, according to Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky.

 

He said that only 500,000 tonnes of wheat were exported in August and predicted that this number would rise.

The minister said this year's wheat in Ukraine is of lower quality than it was last year. Rain caused cleaning delays in some areas, and the results are poor quality. In terms of quality, this season is not the best.

 

Solsky said the Russian invasion will cause the Ukraine's winter wheat area planted for the 2023 harvest to decrease by at least 20% from 2022, to about 3.8 million hectares.

 

The minister stated that although Ukraine had sown more than 6 million hectares of winter wheat for the 2022 harvest, only about 4.6 million hectares would be harvested in Ukrainian-controlled territory because a sizable portion of the area was occupied during the invasion.

 

On uncontrolled territory, at least 10 million tonnes of different grains could be harvested, but he said without providing an exact number that not much uncontrolled territory would be sown this fall.

 

He said the winter rapeseed area in Ukraine could decrease by 20% from last year for the 2023 harvest while the winter barley area could stay the same.

 

He also said that the corn sowing area for the following year would also disappear and be replaced by soybean or sunflower fields, adding that old stocks (wheat and corn) are already pressing, sunflower harvesting will start in the coming weeks, and corn will be harvested on September 10.

 

Officials anticipate that the country's three most important agricultural exports—oilseeds, grains, and oils—will increase to about 4 million tonnes in August from 3 million tonnes in July. Solsky said the government has no plans to restrict agricultural exports once more this year.

 

-      Reuters