KIEV, Ukraine (Reuters) — Ukraine hopes to export a record monthly volume of 3.5 million tonnes of grain in November, says agriculture minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk.
“We put the figure of three million tonnes (in the plan for November), but we hope to export 3.5 million tonnes. That will be our monthly record,” Prysyazhnyuk said.
The country, which plans to harvest up to 60 million tonnes of grain in 2013, exported 3.42 million tonnes of grain in October.
Prysyazhnyuk also said that at least 15 million tonnes of grain were likely to be sold abroad in the first half of the 2013-14 season, which runs from July to June.
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Ukraine had exported 10.02 million tonnes of grain as of Nov.4.
Prysyazhnyuk said the ministry would encourage exports and saw no grounds to limit further sales.
“Our winter crops are in very good condition thanks to perfect weather,” he said.
“The harvest (of winter wheat in 2014) could exceed the previously expected 15 million tonnes.”
Prysyazhnyuk said last month that the wheat harvest could be down a third to 15 million tonnes next year from 22 million tonnes this year because of a reduced seeded area caused by heavy rain across most of the country.
Winter wheat accounts for more than 90 percent of Ukraine’s overall wheat output.
According to his data, farmers have completed winter wheat seeding for next year’s harvest with a loss of 990,000 acres.
“It is not a critical loss,” he said.
The ministry has said farms seeded a total of 15.3 million acres of winter wheat this year compared to 16.3 million acres a year earlier.
Analysts say that most of the crop was seeded with some delay, but good weather may help plants develop enough before the cold period.
“If the warm weather continues into November, the condition of winter crops will improve substantially before the end of the autumn growing season,” analyst UkrAgroConsult said.
