Ukraine's grain exports reached a record 46 million tonnes in the first nine months of the 2019/20 season versus 37.6 million shipped in the same period a season earlier, the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture said on Thursday.
The exported volume included 17.9 million tonnes of wheat, 23.3 million tonnes of corn and 4.3 million tonnes of barley, it said in a statement. Although Ukraine is a major grain exporter and its harvest largely exceeds domestic consumption, the coronavirus pandemic has led some countries to consider export restrictions.
Ukrainian bakers and millers last week asked the government to limit exports of grain and related products to maintain bread prices in the event of the coronavirus spreading. The economy ministry said it would control wheat export shipments, sell flour on the domestic market and agree with traders a maximum volume of wheat for export.
Ukraine's major traders union UGA said this week it agreed with an economy ministry proposal to limit wheat exports to 20.2 million tonnes in the 2019/20 season to avoid a rise in domestic bread prices.
The country harvested a record 75.1 million tonnes of grain in 2019, up from 70 million in 2018. Deputy minister Taras Vysotskiy said last month Ukraine could export a record 52-55 million tonnes of grain this season, including 19-20 million tonnes of wheat.
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