The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in September improved its forecast for corn exports from Ukraine in the 2018/2019 marketing year (MY, July-June) by 500,000 tonnes compared with the August forecast, to 25 million tonnes. According to a report on the website of the U.S. department, the forecast for corn harvest for 2018 has been maintained at the level of 31 million tonnes.
The USDA also kept the forecast for wheat exports from Ukraine in the 2018/2019 MY at the level of 16.5 million tonnes with the yield standing at 25.5 million tonnes, which corresponds to the figures released in August.
In general, the U.S. agency downgraded its forecast for grain harvest in Ukraine by 400,000 tonnes, to 65.2 million tonnes, raised that for exports by 300,000 tonnes, to 45.96 million tonnes.
As reported, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine predicts the increase in grain harvest in 2018 by 1.1 million tonnes compared to the previous year, to 63.1 million tonnes. Grain exports in the 2018/2019 marketing year are projected to be 42 million tonnes.
Exports of Ukrainian agricultural products to European countries in January-August 2018 exceeded $3.6 billion, Ukraine’s Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry has reported. “The top five key export items to the EU over the period include grain with a $1.2 billion volume, oil – $702.5 million, oilseeds – $581.4 million, – $312.8 million, poultry and byproducts – $169.8 million and other goods,” the ministry’s press service reported, citing Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food for European integration Olha Trofimtseva as saying.
She said that the top five countries with the largest share of trade in foreign goods flow between Ukraine and the EU includes the Netherlands with 15.2%, Poland with 14.3%, Italy with 12.6%, Spain with 12% and Germany with 11.5%.
Over the period imports of agrarian and food products from the EU to Ukraine rose by $336.2 million year-over-year, reaching $1.7 billion. “Most of all we imported products for feeding animals, tobacco and products made of it, chocolate and products made of cacao beans, meat and byproducts, oilseeds, corn, alcohol and other foods,” she said.
Ukraine in 2018 could increase exports of poultry by 7.4%, to 290,000 tonnes, the Union of Poultry Farmers of Ukraine has said. “A record-breaking amount of poultry meat was exported in 2017 – 270,000 tonnes. This indicator will reach 290,000 tonnes in 2018. Along with the increase in exports, there is a tendency to increase the import of poultry meat to Ukraine. In the past year, 116,000 tonnes was imported, and in the current year it is expected to reach 130,000 tonnes,” Director General of the association Serhiy Karpenko said in the report of the association.
According to him, in the course of 2017, 66,700 tonnes of poultry and meat products were exported to the EU and Ukraine was the third among all countries exporting to the EU countries. “The growth in industrial production of broiler meat by 3.3% or by 30,000 tonnes was seen in 2017. For the seven months ending July 2018, production in agricultural enterprises increased by 5.6%,” Karpenko said.
Consumption of eggs in 2017 was 247 units per person. In 2018, the association predicts an increase in the consumption of eggs to 254 pieces per person.
Ukraine exported 8.652 million tonnes of grain from July 1, 2018 (the beginning of the 2018/2019 marketing year, MY July-June) to September 26, 2018, which was 8.6% less than by the same date of the previous MY. As of today, farmers exported about 5.06 million tonnes of wheat, 1.93 million tonnes of barley, 1.5 million tonnes of maize, Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said on Wednesday.
In addition, 45,200 tonnes of flour was sold on foreign markets over the period under review.
The ministry also said that the volume of forecast wheat exports remained at the level that was recorded in the Memorandum of Understanding for 2018/2019 MY, signed by the ministry and grain market players on August 10, i.e. 8 million tonnes of food wheat and 8 million tonnes of coarse wheat.
PJSC Farmak (Kyiv), among top three leaders of the pharmaceutical sector of Ukraine, in 2018 plans to increase the exports share to 33%.
The company told Interfax-Ukraine that in H1 2018 Farmak’s exports grew by 13% year-over-year, in particular, thanks to supplies to Uzbekistan (a rise by 20%), Belarus (by 124%), Kazakhstan (by 13%) and Kyrgyzstan (by 16%).
Sales of products to Russia remained at the level of 2017.
“We want to increase the export potential of the company by retaining the leading positions in Ukraine. It would lead to an increase in production, creation of new jobs, an increase in the amount of taxes paid. For Farmak, the markets of the European Union and Asia remain a priority,” Farmak Executive Director Volodymyr Kostiuk said.
In general, according to him, in 2017, Farmak exported products for $70 million. In 2017, Poland, Uzbekistan and Russia dominated the structure of foreign sales. In particular, sales to Poland accounted for 28.3% of total exports, Uzbekistan – 20.9% and Russia – 16.7%.
In 2017, the share of Farmak’s sales in foreign markets was 31%.
Farmak is a member of the Association Manufacturers of Medications of Ukraine (AMMU).
The Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine has reviewed upwards the 2018 grain harvest forecast from over 60 million tonnes to 63.1 million tonnes, which is 1.1 million tonnes more than in the previous agricultural year, acting Agricultural Policy and Food Minister Maksym Martyniuk wrote on his Facebook page. “A group of late grain crops will contribute to the growth. Weather conditions were far from optimal, but losses were fragmentary, and as a result we have a decent ratio of bread wheat/coarse grains at 60/40,” he said.
The head of the agrarian ministry added that the export forecast was also increased, to 42 million tonnes.
“It is good news. The situation in the world (poor harvests in supplying countries, rising prices) raises its status to” magnificent,” Martyniuk said.
He also said that if the field works started late spring, the sowing campaign began almost a week earlier: as of September 10, 237,100 hectares were sown with grain, which is 3% of the forecast.
“Rain is a bonus,” the acting minister said.
According to the ministry, as of September 10, the harvest of grain and leguminous crops amounted to 35.4 million tonnes from 10.1 million hectares, or 68% of the forecast. These include early cereals: 34.3 million tonnes were harvested from an area of 9.9 million hectares, and 0.82 million tonnes of corn was harvested from 147,000 hectares (3% of the forecast).
