Ukraine, struggling with a slump in food grain output in 2003, cut wheat imports sharply in January to 188,000 tonnes from about 900,000 tonnes in December, a local agriculture news agency said on Thursday.
Agroperspectiva said large wheat stocks in Ukraine combined with export restrictions in place in Russia and Kazakhstan were the main reasons for smaller imports in January.
The agency said Ukraine had imported 2.85 million tonnes of wheat from July 2003 to January 2004.
Traders said Ukraine needed to import 4.2 million tonnes of food grain in the 2003/04 season to meet the bread needs of its 48 million population.
Ukraine's wheat crop fell to 3.6 million tonnes in 2003 from 20.5 million tonnes in 2002 and 21.3 million tonnes in 2001. Ukraine needs about six million tonnes of food grain per season.
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