Ukraine's 2024/25 grain crop exports seen down due to weather, minister says

Ukraine’s 2024 grain harvest may decrease to 54.6 million metric tons from around 60 million tons in 2023, mostly due to unfavourable weather, the newly appointed Ukrainian agriculture minister said on Friday. Vitaliy Koval told Reuters the harvest could include 21.8 million tons of wheat and 25.8 million tons of corn. Ukraine’s major farm producers union UAC sees corn output at up to 23 million tons, while APK-Inform agriculture consultancy put the harvest at 26.8 million tons. APK-Inform said 22.5 million tons of corn could be exported this season. Most Ukrainian grain regions were affected by an abnormal heatwave this year, which caused a significant decrease in the late crops’ yield, he said. Koval said early grains, like wheat, lost only 2% in the yield while the yield of late crops – corn and oilseeds – could decease by 10% to 15%. The minister said Ukraine, grain net-exporter, would keep its exports at a high level despite a smaller harvest and could ship abroad 16.2 ...