Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko predicts that the country's total grain export for 2009 will come to around 18 million tonnes.
"This year around 18 million tonnes will be the export implemented by Ukraine," he said at a press conference in Velyki Sorochyntsi on Wednesday.
He said that Ukraine was ranked fifth in the world in the export of grain and expressed his conviction that this position would be maintained this year.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture increased its forecast for Ukrainian grain exports for the current agricultural year (July 2009-June 2010) by 3 million tonnes to 17.02 million tonnes in comparison with its forecast last month.
Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy earlier said that the country could export 17 million tonnes of grain to foreign markets this year. According to preliminary statistics, Ukraine exported 24.7 million tonnes of grain for the 2008-2009 agricultural year. As a result, export for the current agricultural year could drop by 31.2%.
