Grain exports grow by 13.9% - Prysiazhniuk

Ukraine increased exports of grain abroad to 21.3 million tons as of May 16, 2013, which is 13.9% more than on the same date in 2012. Farmers spent the money obtained from exports of grain crops on the spring sowing campaign, Agricultural Policy and Food Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk has said.

«At present, we exported more grain than in the past marketing year, an increase of 13.9%. A total of 21.3 million tons of grain was currently sold abroad, and in the 2011/2012 marketing period the figure was 18.7 million tons. We are dynamically increasing this figure. Wheat, corn, sunflower and other crops are being actively exported. And we're planning to supply about 24 million tons of grain abroad,» the minister said.

Ukraine has currently exported 6.8 million tons of wheat (4.5 million tons in the 2011/2012 marketing season), 12.4 million tons of corn (11.6 million tons) and 2 million tons of barley (2.3 million tons).

Prysiazhniuk noted that the increase in grain exports had helped farmers get more money and send it for technical and technological support for the spring sowing campaign. So, this year farmers are significantly better provided with logistical resources than last year, which creates prerequisites for a good harvest of grain crops this year.

The minister also recalled that in the 2011/2012 marketing period Ukraine held a 2.6% share in world production of grain crops and a 9.2% share in world trade, which allowed the country to take sixth place among the leading countries exporting grain to the world market.

Adapted from Ukrinform