Ukraine since the beginning of the marketing year 2019/2020 (MY, July-June) and as of February 17, 2020 had exported 38.36 million tonnes of grain and legumes, which is 7.5 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 16.23 million tonnes of wheat, 17.67 million tonnes of corn, and 3.97 million tonnes of barley.
As of February 17 of this year, 240,600 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.
Ukraine in January 2020 increased exports of titanium containing ore and concentrate in kind by 12.2% compared to 2018, to 52,400 tonnes.
According to customs statistics released by the State Fiscal Service, over the period exports of titanium ore and concentrate in monetary terms decreased by 8.6%, to $12.586 million.
Major exports were made to Mexico (23.84% of deliveries in monetary terms), Russia (18.01%) and Egypt (13.79%).
Ukraine in January 2020 imported 78 tonnes of similar products worth $55,000 from Senegal (805 tonnes for $163,000 in January 2019).
Vilnohirsk state mining and metallurgical combine (Dnipropetrovsk region), Irshansk state mining and processing combine (Zhytomyr region), Valki-Ilmenite and Mezhdurechensk Mining and Concentration Complexes (both are located in Irshansk, Zhytomyr region) are the main producers of titanium ore in Ukraine.
Dnipro-based Velta production and commercial firm built a mining and processing complex at the Birzulivske ilmenite deposit, which has a 240,000-tonne ilmenite concentrate capacity per year.
Holding company Velta Group Global Ltd. was registered in London in November 2011.
Ukraine in January 2020 increased export of poultry by 27.8%, to 37,350 tonnes, the State Customs Service has reported. According to its report, in monetary terms exports of these products increased by 18%, to $45.87 million. In January 2020, import of poultry and offal decreased by 20% and amounted to 9,350 tonnes, in monetary terms by 15.9%, to $3.89 million.
In addition, according to the agency, pork exports in January 2020 amounted to 101 tonnes, which is 20.2% more than in January 2019. These products were delivered for a total of $297,000 (1.7 times more).
Pork imports to Ukraine January 2020 decreased by 52.4%, to 991 tonnes. Pork was imported to the country for $1.91 million, which is 50% less than the figure for January 2019.
As reported, Ukraine in 2019 increased export of poultry by 26%, to 414,490 tonnes. Import of poultry and offal increased by 0.6% and amounted to 131,180 tonnes. Pork exports in 2019 amounted to 2,260 tonnes, which is 28.6% more than in 2018. Pork imports to Ukraine last year decreased by 18.8%, to 23,190 tonnes.
The export of vegetables, fruits, berries and nuts, fresh, frozen and dried brought Ukraine $339 million in revenue last year, which is 9.4% more than in 2018, and 20.1% more than in 2017. According to a Tuesday report on the website of the Ukrainian Horticultural Association, walnuts, berries and apples were the main product groups providing growth in the export of fruits and vegetables. The growth in revenue from apple exports over two years exceeded 150%, while exports of nuts and frozen berries grew by about 37% in two years.
At the same time, according to the association, the share of these three leading categories of the total export of fruits and vegetables continued to grow and reached 70% in 2019.
“The growth rate of export of fruits and vegetables from Ukraine remains high, but whether the country can keep them in 2020 is a big question, because there have been a number of negative trends, such as a strengthening of the national currency, a shortage of labor for harvesting products, a decrease in raspberry production, decrease in investments in new orchards and berry plants, and other things. At the same time, there is great hope that Ukraine will continue growing for some time thanks to the fruiting of orchards, nuts and berries laid over the past five years,” Economist at the investment department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Andriy Yarmak said.
According to the association, Ukraine is not even among the top 50 world leaders in terms of fruit and vegetable exports.
“For example, Lithuania, with a climate not favorable for fruits and vegetables, exports more fruits and vegetables than the entire Ukraine. Poland exports $2.6 billion worth fruits and vegetables – eight times more than Ukraine. Moreover, this includes re-export of Ukrainian berries, and other products of the fruit and vegetable group,” the association said.
Myronivsky Hliboproduct (MHP), certified in the EU, has stopped exports of poultry to these countries as of January 23, the group has said.
“All MHP production facilities continue to operate as normal and have begun to take all necessary steps according to the export sales diversification strategy approved by the group’s management. MHP continues to adhere to existing quality and biosafety standards and sells its products both on the local market and in the countries, where there is no export ban,” MHP said.
The group said that now the production team of specialists and veterinarians at the MHP facilities is following a clear plan to counteract bird flu and is taking all necessary measures to prevent potential outbreaks at all MHP production sites.
According to the group, at present the state veterinary authorities of Ukraine are in close cooperation with the EU authorities in order to coordinate and take all necessary steps to resolve the issue of opening the market and come to a final agreement on the implementation of detailed regionalization, which has not yet been officially ratified.
MHP said that in 2019 about 30% of the group’s total exports were sent to the EU. In January-September 2019, MHP increased poultry exports by 26%, to 269,670 tonnes. In 2018, exports grew by 30%, to 286,800 tonnes.
Ukrainian enterprises in 2019 decreased exports of ferrous scrap metal by 87.2% compared to 2018, to 42,182 tonnes.
According to customs statistics released by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, exports of scrap metal in monetary terms fell by 88.9%, to $11.781 million.
In 2019, the country increased imports of scrap metal in kind by 17.2% compared to 2018, to 49,934 tonnes. Imports in monetary terms decreased 6.4%, to $34.254 million.
Imports of scrap metal for the mentioned period arrived mainly from Turkey (62.55% of deliveries in monetary terms), Russia (28.45%), and the Netherlands (2.23%); and major exports were shipped to Turkey (85.88%), the Netherlands (6.27%) and Germany (5.37%).
Ukrainian metal companies in 2019 imported 2,502 tonnes of ferrous products obtained by direct reduction of iron ore (HS code 7203) – hot briquetted iron (HBI), which is a substitute for pig iron and scrap metal for $811,000. The HBI was imported from Russia for a total value of $810,000 and China for $1,000.
