Update 2-Ukraine Warns Traders After Wheat Exports Near Limit

(Agriculture.com) – Ukraine’s agriculture ministry has urged exporters to comply with export memorandum terms as most of the agreed volume of wheat for the 2018/19 season traders has already been shipped, analyst APK-Inform said on Tuesday.

Some 83.2 percent of the agreed volume of milling wheat for the 2018/19 export season had been exported as of Jan. 18, the consultancy said citing the ministry’s document.

Ukraine has exported around 11.4 million tonnes of wheat, including 6.6 million tonnes of milling wheat, so far this season, ministry data showed.

The ministry has asked exporting companies to submit data on grain export plans for the rest of the season which runs until June 30.

Acting agriculture minister Maksym Martyniuk said that the ministry will work with traders to implement the plan.

“We will observe. If it (the memorandum) is done, there is no reason for revision,” Martyniuk said.

The government and traders last year agreed that no more than 16 million tonnes of wheat, including 8 million tonnes of milling wheat could be exported from Ukraine this season.

Ukraine’s overall grain exports have risen to 25.7 million tonnes so far in the 2018/19 season as of Jan. 16, up from 22.1 million tonnes at the same point in the previous season.

Ukraine has said it harvested a record 70.1 million tonnes of grain last year, up from 61.3 million in 2017.

The ministry said exports could rise to 47.2 million tonnes this season from 39.4 million last season.