Ukraine to Lower Official Crop Forecast

KIEV - Sep 4/06 - APK -- According to Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine Yuriy Melnik on the 1st of September, Ministry plans to lower its forecast of grains crops of 2006.

According to him, this correction is connected with possible reducing of production volumes of some late grains, particularly maize.

Yuriy Melnik noticed that they expected to harvest 8 million metric tons (MT) of maize but weather conditions - drought in southern and rains in western regions - change the situation.

According to the minister, by the end of the first week of this month they would be able to give more precise forecast of late grains crops in Ukraine in the current season after they receive clear information from the regions.

Also he reminded that by the present time Ukraine has almost finished the harvesting campaign of spring grains and preliminary data confirm the forecast of ministry concerning spring grains crop at 30 million MT.

The minister also underlined that export volumes of grains from Ukraine in the 2006-07 marketing year would be at the level of the last year - about 13 million MT, but at that the change of export structure is possible. Particularly this would concern barley export volumes.

Let us remind that earlier Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine forecasted croppage of grains and legumes, including maize, in Ukraine in the current year at 38 million MT, including 7.5 to 8 million MT of maize.

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