News From Agro-Industrial Complex

Cold weather is preventing Ukrainian farmers from planting spring grains, which may lead to a reduction in the barley-planted area and an increase in the areas planted with corn and sunflower, the UkrAgroConsult market analyst said Tuesday.

Ukraine exported 16.557 million metric tons of grain between the beginning of the current marketing year July 1, 2009 and March 2 this year compared with 16.307 million tons in the corresponding period in the previous marketing year, the Agriculture Ministry reported Friday.

According to the data of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, as of January 29, 2010, trading volumes of grains of the harvest-2009 on the exchange market of Ukraine totaled 16.41 mln tonnes, including 6.85 mln tonnes on spot contract terms, and 9.55 mln tonnes on forward terms.

Ukraine exported in July-December, the first six months of the current marketing year, 6.9 million metric tons of wheat, 4% more than in the corresponding period in the previous marketing year, the agriculture ministry reported Monday.