KYIV, Ukraine, January 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Exports of Ukrainian grain amounted to 9.65 million tons since the beginning of the marketing year (starting July 1, 2011). The outflow rose 42 percent compared to 6.79 million tons as of January 4 last year, reported the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.  

In 2011, Ukraine cropped the record amount of grain in twenty years since declaring independence. The unprecedented harvest - over 55 million tons of grain - as well as the removal of the export taxes and quotas contributed to the export boost in 2011. Last year Ukraine was fourth on the list of world's leading grain exporters, following the U.S., EU, and Canada.

As of January 4, 2012, the shipments of wheat came up to 2.49 million tons, including 1.33 million tons of milling wheat and 1.16 million tons of feed grain. Shipments of Barley accounted for 1.87 million tons; corn exports were 5.18 million tons, according to Korrespondent. These numbers are 2.86 million tons higher than the index for the same date of the previous marketing year (July 1, 2010, till June 30, 2011).

As of December 27, 2011, Ukraine has already contracted 4.1 million tons of wheat: 3.65 million tons of milling wheat, and 0.47 million tons of feed grain, 2 million tons of barley, and 9.7 million tons of corn. The Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food expects that exports of grain crops during 2011/2012 marketing year would amount to 26 million tons of grain, wheat making up to 7.8 million tons.  

In the marketing year 2010-2011 wheat export of Ukraine landed the country the 6^th position on the global market, according to the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food. Moreover, this year Ukraine became the third corn supplier in the world, surpassing Brazil and being the second runner-up to the USA and Argentina. Overall, in 2011 Ukraine increased its agricultural export by 30 percent.

Curiously, in 2011, Ukraine initiated the creation of the world's grain reserve under the auspices of the United Nations. Ukraine was willing take on the responsibility to form the reserve of 10 to 12 mln tons of grain, preserve it and make grain interventions on the market following the respective decisions by the UN.

SOURCE Worldwide News Ukraine