Ukraine's grain exports totalled 1.8 million tonnes in July-August 2011, the first two months of the new 2011/12 season, or 22 percent less than in the same period in 2010, the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation (UAC), said on Monday. UAC director Serhiy Stoyanov said grain export duties caused the fall in shipments because they made Ukrainian grain less competitive on the global market, which has seen Russian grain flood back in after a near year-long export ban following severe drought in 2010.
The local union of traders and producers said in a statement the volume had included about 1.0 million tonnes of barley, 700,000 of wheat and 100,000 of other cereals. Kiev-based ProAgro consultancy said in a report that Ukrainian wheat had been supplied mostly to Spain (258,000 tonnes), Italy (78,100 tonnes), Portugal (36,500 tonnes), India (33,000 tonnes) and Israel (29,600 tonnes). Ukrainian barley went mostly to Saudi Arabia - 583,100 tonnes.
The Farm Ministry, however, said the volume of exports had reached 2.1 million tonnes in July-August. The ministry declined to give more details. In July, Ukraine replaced grain export quotas with export duties, which will be in force until January 1, 2012. Export duty on wheat is 9 percent but no less than 17 euros ($24.30) per tonne. Export duty on barley is 14 percent and no less than 23 euros per tonne. Export duty on maize is 12 percent and no less than 20 euros.
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