UGA expecting wheat exports from Ukraine to increase in September
Kyiv, September 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Grain exports from Ukraine in September this year could reach 2 million tonnes, with the main export crop being wheat, President of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) Volodymyr Klymenko has said.
"I expect that there should be 2 million tonnes [in September], as wheat will be exported," he said at the press conference entitled "The Development of the Grain Market Through Forming an Effective Agricultural Policy" at Interfax-Ukraine in Kyiv on Tuesday.
Klymenko said that, according to an addendum to the memorandum, grain trading companies operating on the domestic market undertook to export not more than 4 million tonnes of wheat from the country in the current marketing year (July 2012-June 2013).
"We have exported about 2 million tonnes of wheat of the 4 million tonnes that can be exported. If another 2 million tonnes of wheat can be exported, I can see that our market participants will hurry to do this. I think that wheat will be the main crop in the nearest time," he said.
Klymenko did not say what restrictive measures could be established by the government to achieve the critical volume of wheat exports. At the same time, he expressed hope that the 4 million tonnes agreed with the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food would be revised upwards.
"We decided to specify the balance every month," said Klymenko, adding that the next meeting is scheduled for late October.
According to the UGA president, the situation with further wheat exports will be clear after there are exports of 3.2 million tonnes of this crop from the country.
"This memorandum notes that we determine monthly balance sheets and when 80% of the crop is exported we have to start talks to decide on our further actions," he said.
According to Klymenko, the optimal volume of wheat exports in the current MY is about 5-5.5 million tonnes.
"We see that 1.5 million tonnes more wheat could be exported compared to the volume proposed by the ministry. Maybe it will be so," he said.
In addition, Klymenko said the UGA keeps its previous forecast for grain exports in the 2012/2013 MY at 19-20 million tonnes. He estimated monthly exports at 2 million tonnes.