Export trading of grains from Ukraine is hampered by adverse weather conditions, informed Sergei Kvasha, Director of the department of agrarian markets of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, on February 14.

According to him, grain export rates are absolutely slow. The vessels could go to the ports via the road made by ice-breakers only. The complicated situation is observed not only in the ports, but also in work of linear elevators, road and rail transport.

According to the Director of the department, during 10 days of February Ukraine exported 430 thsd tonnes of grains, including 414 thsd tonnes of maize, 11 thsd tonnes of wheat, while the general exports in January totaled 1.92 mln tonnes of grains. It means that Ukraine will fail to reach the January rate of exports, due to the climatic circumstances, said S.Kvasha.

He also said that the current carry-over stocks of grains in elevators of the port of the country total nearly 1.2 mln tonnes.

The Director of the department also said that since the beginning of the current marketing year (July - June) and as of February 10, Ukraine exported 11.76 mln tonnes of grains, an increase of 4.49 mln tonnes compared to the same period of 2010/2011 MY. According to S.Kvasha, wheat exports in the period totaled 2.96 mln tonnes (1.64 mln tonnes of milling wheat, and 1.32 mln tonnes of feed wheat), barley - 1.94 mln tonnes, maize - 6.75 mln tonnes, and rapeseed - 0.93 mln tonnes.

Previously, the ministry of Agrarian Policy forecasted grain exports from Ukraine in 2011/2012 MY at the level of 26 mln tonnes. However, later Nikolai Prysiazhnyuk, Minister of Agrarian Policy, said that taking into account the supplied volumes of grains, the general exports will be lower. However, he expressed the hope that till the end of the present MY, Ukraine will supply 2 mln tones per month in foreign markets.

According to preliminary data of the State Statistics Committee, in 2011 Ukraine produced 56.7 mln tonnes of grains, up 44.3% compared to 2010.

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