Ukraine boosts grain exports by 40% in H1

Ukrainian agribusinesses in January-June 2019 (H1) boosted grain exports by 40% year-over-year (y-o-y), to 26.2 million tonnes worth UAH 4.5 billion, or US$175.8 million.

"In January-June 2019, domestic grain exports totaled UAH 26.2 million tonnes bringing the revenue that exceeded UAH 4.5 billion. This is 40% more than over the same period last year," the press service of the National Scientific Center "Institute of Agrarian Economy" said on August 7.

In particular, 5.1 million tonnes of wheat worth $1.1 billion was shipped abroad over the period under review, while farmers exported 20.6 million tonnes of maize ($3.4 billion) and 0.4 million tonnes of barley ($0.1 billion).

At the same time, Asian, African and European countries were major buyers of Ukrainian grain in H1 2019.

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Thus, Egypt remains in the lead for several years running, accounting for 15% of Ukraine's total grain exports in monetary terms over the period under review.

In addition, the share of Ukrainian grain exports to China was 11%, shipments to the Netherlands accounted for 8.5%, Turkey (8.4%), Spain (8.1%), Italy (4.2%), Israel (3.8%), Germany (3.5%) and Tunisia (3.4%). The press service added that the said countries make up almost two-thirds of Ukraine's grain exports value.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian farmers reduced grain exports by 0.4% in 2018, to 41.7 million tonnes.

The country's agribusinesses in MY 2018-2019 exported 49.7 million tonnes of grain, which was a record high over Ukraine's independence.

In 2018, Ukraine harvested a record high yield of grains, having threshed 70.1 million tonnes, according to the agrarian ministry.