REUTERS
Ukrainian farmers have harvested 12.9 million tonnes of sunflower seeds this year, which is a record high yield of this crop in the country's history, according to the Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry.
The yield was 1.7 million tonnes up on the previous year, thus the country is in the lead in terms of sunflower seeds and sunflower oil production in the world.
Read alsoUkraine's farm produce exports in 9 months estimated at over $10 blnThe ministry forecasts that Ukraine's share in the world's sunflower seed output in the 2016-2017 marketing year will be 31%. Ukraine will account for 34% of the world's sunflower oil production and the share of its sunflower oil exports will be 57% of all international shipments.
Read alsoEBRD ready to support Ukraine's organic production and sunflower processing Ukrainian farmers in the 2016-2017 marketing year (September 2016 through August 2017) will produce about 5.5 million tonnes of sunflower oil. Of the amount, 5 million tonnes will be shipped abroad, the ministry said.
"Taking the current harvest into account, the country is able to produce 5.5 million tonnes of sunflower oil and ship about 5 million tonnes for export," Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Kutoviy said.