The Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture predicts that Ukrainian farmers will harvest 63-65 million tonnes of grain and leguminous crops in 2020 against the previously projected 60 million tonnes. “Looking at the sown area, we expect the final gross grain production at the level of 63-65 million tonnes, which is 2.5 times more than the domestic market needs. We can formulate the final figure at the end of May, everything will depend on rains in this period. According to the forecast, they should be. Perhaps even the figure will be larger,” Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotsky said on the air of Ukraine 24 TV Channel.
Vysotsky noted that there are no threats to food security nationwide due to adverse climatic conditions, a critical situation has developed only in Odesa region.
“The losses there are large, sometimes up to 50% of the sowings. Now they’ll sum up the potential losses, they will transfer documentation, hold commissions and consider the possibility of financing from the reserve fund or other available instruments. We will study the situation in this region to support those farmers who have a large percentage of losses and there is a risk of becoming bankrupt,” the official said.
The grain harvest in 2020 may reach about 72 million tonnes (75.1 million tonnes in 2019), about 51 million tonnes from this volume can be exported, UkrAgroConsult analytical agency said.
“Despite draughts in March and April, in case of May rainfall, the wheat harvest’s level will be high enough, about 26 million tonnes (28.3 million tonnes in 2019). At the same time, its yield is forecast to be 5% lower than the trend value and 5% lower than last year,” UkrAgroConsult said on its website.
According to leading expert on the grain market Yelyzaveta Malyshko, with such harvest, Ukraine may well export 17 million tonnes of wheat.
According to preliminary forecasts, the corn harvest may reach 36 million tonnes in 2020 (35.9 million tonnes in 2019), and barley of 8 million tonnes (8.9 million tonnes).
EVT port grain terminal has completed sinking 4,000 piles for erecting 20 grain silos as part of phase three of the development of the terminal, the press service of EVT said on Friday.
“Sinking piles in the ground is the most difficult and time-consuming step in the construction of silos. The advantage of this method is the reliability and stability of the structure, as well as the ability to carry out excavation work in a short time,” the press service said.
As reported, the piles were sunk to a depth of 13 meters. For each silo, 200 piles were driven. Next, the concrete foundation of the future silos was poured.
According to EVT, nine such bases are currently ready. The installation of metal structures and the assembly of the domes of three silos are going on. The dome of the first silo is being prepared for raising.
It is planned that by the beginning of the 2020/2021 agricultural year, the construction of eight silos with a storage capacity of 8,800 cubic meters each will be fully completed.
Ukraine since the beginning of the marketing year 2019/2020 (MY, July-June) and as of April 15, 2020 had exported 48.14 million tonnes of grain and legumes, which is 8.45 million tonnes more than on the same date past MY.
According to the information and analytical portal of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine, to date, the country has exported 18.35 million tonnes of wheat, 24.6 million tonnes of corn, and 4.52 million tonnes of barley.
As of April 15 of this year, some 285,920 tonnes of flour had been also exported.
As reported, Ukraine in the 2018/2019 MY exported a record 50.4 million tonnes of grain, legumes and flour, which is 23% more than in the previous MY.
The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) in the April report updated its forecast for the harvest of grain and oilseeds in the 2020/2021 marketing year (MY) compared to March, to 94 million tonnes from 92.6 million tonnes.
According to the association’s Thursday press release, the forecast for grain and oilseeds exports for next season is also increased from 55.6 million tonnes to 57.2 million tonnes.
According to the association, in the current marketing year, Ukraine produced 98 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds, exports can reach 60 million tonnes.
The association said that a slightly decrease in the forecast for the harvest of grain and oilseeds in 2020 does not change the upward trend of the last three years, when Ukraine harvested more than 90 million tonnes. In the medium term, gross harvest in the country will approach 100 million tonnes and will continue growing.
The forecast for the harvest and export of wheat in the next marketing year has not changed compared to the March report and will reach 25.8 million tonnes and 18 million tonnes, respectively.
The association said that in 2019, Ukraine had a record-hitting wheat harvest of 28.2 million tonnes, and exports, according to its estimates, will reach 20.2 million tonnes in the 2019/2020 marketing year.
The forecast for corn harvest in the April report of the association increased from 34.3 million tonnes to 36.8 million tonnes, and export for the next season from 27.5 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes. Thus, Ukraine in the 2020/2021 marketing year may break its own record for the current marketing year, when 35.2 million tonnes were harvested with an expected export of about 28.5 million tonnes, the association said.
At the same time, the association decreased the forecast for barley harvest compared to the previous month forecast from 7.96 million tonnes to 6.8 million tonnes, and export for the next season from 4.5 million tonnes to 3.5 million tonnes.
According to its estimates, in the current marketing year in Ukraine, some 9 million tonnes of barley were grown with the planned export of about 4.6 million tonnes.
The Ukrainian Grain Association is an association of producers, processors and large exporters of grain, which annually export about 90% of Ukrainian grain products.
Ukraine since the beginning of the marketing year 2019/2020 (MY, July-June) and as of March 23, 2020 had exported 44.19 million tonnes of grain and legumes, which is 7.92 million tonnes more than on the same date of the last MY.
According to the information and analytical portal of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine, to date, the country has exported 17.42 million tonnes of wheat, 22.03 million tonnes of corn, and 4.22 million tonnes of barley.
As of March 23 this year, some 267,800 tonnes of flour had been also exported.
As reported, Ukraine in the 2018/2019 MY exported a record 50.4 million tonnes of grain, legumes and flour, which is 23% more than in the previous MY.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in March raised its forecast for grain exports in Ukraine for the 2019/2020 MY by 680,000 tonnes compared with the February forecast, to 57.34 million tonnes due to indicators for corn.
