Export of agricultural products from Ukraine in January and February 2019 grew by 24.4%, to $3.5 billion, the press service of the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine has reported, referring to acting Minister Olha Trofimtseva.
“The share of agricultural and food products of total exports of Ukraine was 43.9%. The leaders among the exported products were corn (share of total agricultural exports is 33.6%), sunflower oil, safflower or cottonseed (20.13%), and wheat and wheat mixture with rye (11.84%),” Trofimtseva said.
The press service said that according to the regional structure of agrarian exports in the first two months of 2019, Asian countries (worth $ 1.38 billion) had the largest share, the EU had $1.25 billion, Africa $559 million and the CIS $217 million.
The top ten importers of Ukrainian agricultural products in January-February 2019 included India (9.6%), Egypt (9.1%), Turkey (7.8%), the Netherlands (7.4%), Spain (6, 7%), China (5.8%), Italy (3.8%), Poland (3.3%), Germany and Belarus (2.9% each).
The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumers’ Rights Protection and the authorized body of Saudi Arabia have approved the form of the international veterinary certificate for exports of Ukrainian beef and products made of it.
The Ukrainian authority posted the information on its website on Monday.
As reported, in January 2019, Ukraine and Singapore approved veterinary certificates for exports of poultry and products made of it, shell eggs and egg products from Ukraine.
Ukraine in January and February 2019 exported 1,010 tonnes of cheese, which was 3.2% up on January and February 2018.
According to customs statistics released by Ukraine’s State Fiscal Service (SFS), cheese exports in monetary terms amounted to $3.5 million, which was 2.8% lower than the figure for the first two months of 2018.
At the same time, imports of cheese in January and February 2019 totaled 2,600 tonnes, which was 46.3% more than in January and February last year. The imports in monetary terms increased 35.2%, to $12.3 million.
Exports of Ukrainian creamery butter in January and February 2019 decreased almost 37.5%, to 3,900 tonnes. The exports in monetary terms decreased 40.2%, to $15.9 million. Imports of creamery butter, according to the SFS, decreased by 44.5%, to 152 tonnes ($983,000).
In January and February 2019, exports of condensed milk and cream decreased by 32.4%, to 3,600 tonnes. Ukraine supplied condensed milk and cream to the tune of $6.5 million, which was 25.3% less than in January and February 2018. Their imports decreased 7.5%, to 309 tonnes ($633,000).
As was reported, Ukraine in 2018 imported 13,720 tonnes of cheese (37.1% up from 2017) and exported 8,340 tonnes of cheese (7.8% down from 2017).
Last year, exports of butter remained at the level of 2017, imports increased slightly, to 1,100 tonnes.
Exports of condensed milk and cream totaled 35,550 tonnes (24.1% down from 2017), imports were 2,360 tonnes (38.6% up from 2017).
Ukraine in January 2019 increased exports of electricity by 4% (by 19.7 million kWh) compared to the same period of 2018, to 511.5 million kWh, the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry has told Interfax-Ukraine.
Electricity supplies from the “Burshtyn TPP energy island” in the direction of Hungary, Slovakia and Romania increased by 7.2% (by 21.5 million kWh), to 319.4 million kWh.
Electricity supplies to Poland decreased by 22.7% (by 33.1 million kWh), to 112.9 million kWh.
Electricity supplies to Moldova amounted to 79.2 million kWh, which is 65.1% (31.2 million kWh) more than in January 2018.
Ukrainian electricity was not exported to Belarus and Russia in January 2017 and 2018.
In addition, Ukraine in January of the current year imported 2.1 million kWh of electricity (2.1 million kWh from the Russian Federation, 100,000 kWh from Belarus) against 3.2 million kWh in January 2018.
Ukraine in 2018 expanded geography of export of goods and increased the number of companies, which were authorized to export food of animal origin, according to a report of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumers’ Protection. According to the report, in 2018, 85 new markets were opened for various types of products – these are the markets of Albania and Ghana (poultry and products made of it), Hong Kong (poultry and products made of it, eggs and egg products), Morocco (poultry and products made of it , egg products), Macedonia (dairy products, feed), UAE (live sheep and goats, young poultry, live poultry, hatching eggs), Tunisia (poultry meat), Montenegro (eggs and egg products), and other countries.
In addition, 306 Ukrainian enterprises, including 126 food producers (poultry, fish, honey, eggs, and dairy products) now are authorized to export its products to the countries of the European Union.