Ukraine holds leading position in global grain markets

Ukraine continues to hold a leading position in grain production and has 9.2% of the global grain market. With increasing demand in foreign markets, Ukraine can expect to continue expanding its presence in this sector. In response, the Government plans to keep expanding cooperation with both domestic and foreign market players, Ukraine’s Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food Mykola Prysiazhniuk announced.

“Ukraine has firmly consolidated its leading positions in the world for grain production volumes,” said Minister Prysiazhniuk. “In 2012, every 11^th tonne of grain on the global market was supplied by Ukrainian farmers. Ukraine’s total share of the global grain trade was 9.2%. In a situation where demand for food worldwide continues to grow, it is extremely important to take advantage of this tend.”

The Minister also pointed out that the world community has started paying more attention to food issues and risks related to food supplies. In particular, demand is growing for produce, grains and meat. In fact, international organizations have been joining forces with world governments to stabilize food supplies.

“In this context, grain markets remain crucial,” the Minister noted. “For this reason, the Ministry is focusing on developing the domestic grain market, because it is key to both ensuring domestic food security and solving global food problems. Ukraine continues to develop mechanisms for open, transparent cooperation with key players in both the grain business and international institutions.”

The Minister also added that Ukraine welcomed the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), a G20 initiative to improve food market transparency and the predictability of the grain market.

According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Ukraine could take one of the top places in export volumes of wheat and fodder grain in a few years.

Tags: grain