Ukraine in the new agricultural year (July 2013 – June 2014) could export 24-26 million tonnes of grain, the Agriculture Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine has reported.

"The ministry assesses the grain export volumes for the 2013/14 agricultural year at 24-26 million tonnes," reads the report.

Earlier Agriculture Policy and Food Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk said that grain exports from Ukraine in the 2013/14 agricultural year could total 26-27 million tonnes.

The report says that the ministry and grain exporters signed a memorandum on grain exports for the 2013/14 agricultural year.

"The sides agreed on cooperation on the grain market and guaranteeing mutual interests," reads the report.

It is anticipated that the exports volumes will be agreed and defined by the sides before September 1, 2013 and will be added to the memo in the form of a supplement.

As reported, at the start of the current farming year, grain traders and the ministry signed an addendum to a memorandum foreseeing that the government might introduce limitations on grain exports, and cap the maximum amounts of grain exports.

The ministry projected that the country could export over 23 million tonnes of grain in the current marketing year, with the average indicator over the past seven years being 14.7 million tonnes.

The ministry predicts that in 2013 country could harvest 53-54 millions of tonnes of grain, compared to 46.2 million tonnes in 2012.