Ukraine forecasts 60.4 mln tons of grain production

Ukraine will be fully supplied with the main grain crops this year – farmers are expected to harvest about 60.4 million tons of grain, which is almost at the same level as last year. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Taras Vysotsky.

He noted that there will be several times more wheat on the market than is needed for domestic consumption: with a need of 6.4 million tons, the total supply, including reserves, will be about 26.6 million tons.

Vysotsky emphasized that this allows not only to guarantee the food security of the state, but also to maintain export potential.

According to preliminary estimates, the harvest of the main crops may amount to:

• wheat – about 22.4 million tons;
• barley – about 4.7 million tons;
• corn – about 31.6 million tons.

The production of food wheat suitable for processing into flour is forecast at about 9.1 million tons, and together with transitional residues, the total supply could reach 11.7 million tons.

Vysotsky also noted that this year’s spring campaign is more difficult due to the cold spring and waterlogging of the soil, which led to a delay in the sowing of late crops.

“First of all, weather risks now concern corn, since this crop is most dependent on sowing dates, temperature conditions and moisture levels during the growing season. At the same time, the forecast for wheat and barley is quite realistic and reliable for ensuring the food balance, and the agricultural sector demonstrates the ability to adapt even in difficult conditions,” he said.

At the same time, as Vysotsky said, the industry continues to shift its focus from exporting raw materials to producing products with higher added value.

In particular, domestic processing and export of flour, bakery products, frozen products and semi-finished products are growing.

“The HoReCa and Bake-off segments are also actively developing – frozen bakery products and products of a high degree of readiness for restaurants, hotels, cafes and chain stores. Such formats demonstrate stable demand both in the domestic market and abroad,” he noted.

Tags: corn, barley, wheat, crop forecast, Ukraine