Wheat exports to fall to 3.7mn tonnes

KIEV: Ukraine's wheat exports in the 2010/11 season which ends on June 30 will not exceed 3.7 million tonnes compared with 9.2 million in 2009/10, analyst ProAgro said on Wednesday.

"The export of wheat would be at the level of 3.7 million tonnes. A smaller harvest at 16.8 million tonnes and the export curbs that followed were the reason for the decrease," ProAgro said in a statement.

Ukrainian government imposed grain export restrictions in October to prevent a jump in domestic bread prices after a severe drought cut grain harvest by 15 percent.

In 2011, analysts and officials say, Ukraine is likely to increase wheat production to at least 20 million tonnes and the exports might rise to 10 million tonnes.

Copyright Reuters, 2011