Ukraine exported 15.5 million tonnes of grain from July 1, 2012 (the beginning of the current marketing year) to January 21, 2013, the Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry has reported.

In the same period of the previous marketing year, exports stood at 10.6 million tonnes.

Some 5.96 million tonnes of wheat, 7.32 million tonnes of corn and 1.96 million tonnes of barley have been exported since early July 2012, the ministry said.

Since the beginning of January 2013, Ukraine has already exported 1.28 million tonnes of grain, including 144,200 tonnes of wheat, 166,700 tonnes of barley, and 977,400 tonnes of corn.

At the start of the current marketing period, grain traders and the ministry signed an addition to a memorandum foreseeing that the government might introduce limitations on grain exports and cap the maximum amounts of grain exports.

The ministry projects the country's grain export potential for the current marketing year at 23 million tonnes.

The State Statistics Service estimated Ukraine's grain harvest in 2012 at about 46.2 million tonnes against a record high of 56.7 million tonnes gathered in 2011.