REUTERS
Experts forecast Ukrainian farmers may export 43.7 million tonnes of grain in the 2016-2017 marketing year (July 2016 – June 2017), according to NGO Economic Discussion Club (EDC).
In particular, wheat exports are projected at 16.5 million tonnes, those of barley at 5.3 million tonnes, and maize at 20.9 million tonnes.
Ukrainian grain is shipped mainly to Africa and Asia. In particular, Ukrainian wheat is in demand in Egypt and Indonesia, barley is bought by Saudi Arabia and maize by China and Egypt.
Read alsoWheat bran exports from Ukraine down in season 2016/17The EDC also cited the State Statistics Service's reports that farmers exported 23.3 million tonnes of grain and products made of it in July-December 2016, which was 6.4% up on year-over-year.
In particular, wheat shipments totaled 11.9 million tonnes (a 10.5% increase year-over-year), those of barley were 4.4 million tonnes (10.4% up), and maize were 6.9 million tonnes (1.7 % down).
Read alsoUkraine boasts record grain harvest in 2016 at 66 mln tonnesUkraine's Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry earlier projected grain exports in the current marketing year at a record high level of 41.6 million tonnes.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine exported a record amount of grain, having shipped 39.4 million tonnes abroad in the 2015-2016 marketing year (July 2015 – June 2016). Thus, it broke the record of the 2014-2015 marketing year when 34.8 million tonnes of grain was sold abroad.