REUTERS
Ukraine exported agricultural products worth US$4.56 billion in the first three months of 2017 (Q1), which was 38.6% up year-over-year (y-o-y), the Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food ministry's press service reports referring to Ukraine's State Statistics Service.
"Ukrainian agrarian exports grew by 38.6% in January-March 2017, amounting to $4.56 billion, which was $1.26 billion up y-o-y," the report said.
Revenue from exports of livestock and animal products increased most of all over the period under review, namely by 59.1% y-o-y, to $213 million.
Ukrainian farmers exported plant products worth $2.3 billion (35% up from 2015), animal fats and vegetable oil to the tune of $1.28 billion (36% up), and finished foods worth $0.75 billion (51% up).
Read alsoUkrainian farmers already received over UAH 320 mln in subsidiesOver the period under review, Ukrainian enterprises shipped sunflower oil abroad to the tune of $315.7 million, soybeans worth $225.9 million, corn worth $140.4 million, sugar worth $116.3 million, while wheat exports totaled $110.6 million, and those of barley were $65.8 million.
In the current period, the analysts recorded an increase in exports of all groups of agricultural products.
Ukraine's major trade partners in the agrarian sector are the countries of Asia (44.4% of Ukraine's total exports), the European Union (28.6% of exports) and African countries (18% of exports), the press service said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, exports of Ukrainian agrarian products rose by 4.5% in 2016 from 2015, to $15.5 billion, (42.5% of Ukraine's total exports), the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry said. Grain crops, vegetable oil, oilseeds, soybeans, sugar, and meat were traditionally export-oriented staples. Among key markets were the Asian countries (45.9% of exports, worth $7 billion), the European Union (27.5% of exports, $4.2 billion), Africa (15.7% of exports, $2.4 billion), CIS countries (7.7% of exports, $1.2 billion), and the United States (0.9% of exports, $45 million).