Ukraine exports 17,000 tonnes of honey in H1, 43% down year-over-year – expert

Ukrainian companies exported 17,000 tonnes of honey in the first half of 2018 (H1), which was 43% down year-over-year (y-o-y).

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"Ukraine's honey exports in the first half of 2018 shrank by 43% compared to the same period in 2017 and amounted to almost 17,000 tonnes worth $37 million," Anna Burka, an expert from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), wrote on Facebook on July 19.

The expert noted that the EU remains the major buyer of Ukrainian honey. In particular, honey shipments to Germany accounted for 32% of all exports, while the shares of Poland and Belgium were 17% and 12%, respectively.

Burka also noted that an additional quota for the duty-free supply of Ukrainian honey to EU states (2,500 tonnes) would be allocated on October 1.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian farmers in 2018 fulfilled the entire annual quota for honey exports to the EU within 10 days. As of January 11, they used 100% of the country's export quota for the supply of honey to the European Union, given its last year's increase.

Ukraine exported about 48,000 tonnes of honey to the EU states in 2017.