Ukraine may cut grain, oilseed exports by third in 2023

MOSCOW. May 31 (Interfax) - Ukraine is expected to reduce grain and oilseed exports by a third in 2023, Ukrainian media outlets said, citing the press service of the country's Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry that released a statement by the ministry's head Nikolai Solsky.

"Ukraine's grain and oilseed exports are expected to decrease by a third year-on-year to 46 million tonnes. Therefore, Ukraine's grain exports would be 40% less than in the previous year," Solsky said at a meeting of the European Union's Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on Tuesday.

Alexander Gaidu, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's agrarian and land policy committee, said in late April that Ukrainian framers would be able to harvest about 64 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds in 2023, down 10% from the previous year. He said that the decrease is expected due to the unfavorable weather conditions during the sowing campaign.

The Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry earlier previously forecasted the total gross production of grains and legumes in Ukraine in the 2023 season at 44.3 million tonnes versus 53.1 million tonnes in the previous season.