Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine decreased the forecast of grain harvest in 2009

In 2009, grain production volumes in Ukraine will total 42.9 mln tonnes (in clean weight) as opposed to 53.3 mln tonnes last year, declared the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine. According to estimations of the Ministry, grain exports from Ukraine in 2009/10 marketing year (MY, July-June) will total 16.69 mln tonnes, as opposed to 25.2 mln tonnes in the previous MY.

Previously, the Ministry forecasted that in the current MY Ukraine will harvest nearly 45 mln tonnes and export 18 mln tonnes during the current MY.

According to the balances of the Ministry, in the current year, wheat harvest will total 20.5 mln tonnes (in 2008 – nearly 26 mln tonnes), barley – 11.7 mln tonnes (in 2008 – 12.6 mln tonnes), maize – 7.93 mln tonnes (11.4 mln tonnes). In the current MY, the essential decrease of grain exports from Ukraine was mainly caused by the reduction of maize indices, mentioned the Ministry.

In 2009/10 MY, the Ministry expects for the export supplies of maize at the level of 1.17 mln tonnes, as opposed to 5.5 mln tonnes in 2008/09 MY. Wheat exports will lower to the level of 10.65 mln tonnes as opposed to 13 mln tonnes in 2008/09 MY, barley – to 4.64 mln tonnes as opposed to 6.15 min tonnes respectively.

According to estimations of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in the current marketing year, the general proposal of grains will total nearly 50.6 mln tonnes as opposed to nearly 60 mln tonnes in 2008/09 MY.

In the current marketing year, Ukraine used 6.8 mln tonnes of grains for food aims (including 5.4 mln tonnes of wheat), 3.1 mln tonnes as seed material, 15 mln tonnes as forage for cattle and poultry, 2 mln tonnes for unedible processing.

As of July 1, 2010, the carry-over stocks of grains will total 6.55 mln tonnes, as opposed to 7.54 mln tonnes on the same date of 2009.

As of October 9, Ukraine exported 7.2 mln tonnes of grains of the harvest-2009, which almost corresponded to the level of the previous year.

Source: AgriMarket.Info