Ukraine may export about 90% of its 2024 pea harvest - association head

MOSCOW. April 26 (Interfax) - The resumption of Ukrainian agricultural imports by China and India will allow Ukrainian farmers to export around 90% of the 2024 harvest of peas, Ukrainian media cited head of the Pulses Association of Ukraine Antonina Sklyarenko as telling the Suspilne television channel.

"Ukraine will harvest at least 400,000 tonnes of peas in 2024. The average yield for pulses is 2.3 c/ha. Some producers harvest up to 3 c/ha. Domestic consumption of peas stood at 65,000-75,000 tonnes before the crisis, now it is half that amount. Ukraine consumes no more than 40,000 tonnes of pulses, the rest is exported," Sklyarenko said.

The area under peas will continue to grow in 2025, she said.

"We expect farmers to sow peas on more than 160,000 hectares. Two key factors impacting the growth of the cultivation area include the possibility of exports to India and China," she said, adding that Ukraine has traditionally supplied peas to Pakistan, Turkey and the European Union.

The purchase prices rose to 2,000 hryvni per tonne in March 2024 from those seen before the New Year, Sklyarenko said. But the prices will be the highest when Ukraine starts shipping peas to China, which is a premium market.

"The export of pea by-products will also be promising for Ukrainian producers. Our producers have started to process peas into split peas - a more interesting product in terms of price, enjoying demand in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia," Sklyarenko said.