Ukrainian grain harvest could fall to 65-70 mln tonnes in 2020 - dep econ minister
KYIV. Feb 25 (Interfax) - Ukraine could harvest 65-70 million tonnes of grain in 2020, down from 75 million tonnes in 2019.
"The weather is favorable for grains: there is a balanced crop forecast in the range of 65-70 million tonnes in 2020," Taras Vysotsky, the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture, said on Facebook.
The Economic Development Ministry has said production of grain and leguminous crops in Ukraine amounted to about 75 million tonnes in 2019 compared to 70.1 million tonnes in 2018.
Ukraine exported 39.48 million tonnes of grain and legumes between the beginning of the current marketing year on July 1 and February 24, 2020, up 7.65 million tonnes from the same date last year. This marketing year to date, the country has exported 16.35 million tonnes of wheat, 18.65 million tonnes of corn, and 3.98 million tonnes of barley, according to the information and analytical portal of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine. As of February 24 of this year, 250,000 tonnes of flour had been also exported.
Ukraine exported a record 50.4 million tonnes of grain, legumes and flour in the 2018/2019 MY, which is 23% more than in the previous MY.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture in February raised its forecast for grain exports in Ukraine for the 2019/2020 MY by 500,000 tonnes compared with the January forecast, to 56.6 million tonnes due to corn.