Ukraine risks failing to export nearly 20 million tons of grain in 2012 -Grain Association
2012-01-17 17:51:03
President of the Ukrainian Grain Association Volodymyr Klymenko predicts that, with the current situation of shortage of Ukrzaliznytsia cars, in which Ukrainian grain is exported, the volume of exports shortage by the end of 2012 will amount to almost 20 million tons. He stated this at a briefing.
"Before the end of the year, Ukraine must export about 20 million tons more.... Including sunflower, soybean and rape.... Shall we export 4 million tons a month? This is an absolutely impossible task," Klymenko told the briefing.
"The Grain Association appeals to the Cabinet of Ministers with the request that the situation with the export of grain was examined in detail, involving all the ministries and departments concerned, to decide what to do to ensure Ukrainian exports this year, because if we continue to export 2 million tons a month, we will not have a balance of 9 million tons, in the case of substantial loss of winter crops - we will have the remains of 19 million tons," he added.
Klymenko said that today, of 10 thousand railcars, about 1.1 thousand Ukrzaliznytsia cars work for the CIS countries, and the remaining nearly 9,000 cars, which operate in Ukraine today, practically can not service the volume of exports provided by this year's harvest.
According to him, Ukraine has plants that are able to produce more than 9 thousand freight cars per year, but Ukrzaliznytsia did not order a single car in 2010-2011.
Despite the goal set by the President that by 2016 Ukraine produce about 80 million tons of grain, Ukrzaliznytsia is not planning to purchase before 2016 any new cars suitable for the carriage of grain.
According to the Ukrainian Agrarian Confederation, grain exports from Ukraine in the current marketing year (July 2011 - June 2012) are expected to be 21.8-22.3 million tons, which is associated with the demand in foreign markets and logistics capabilities, rather than the potential of resources free from domestic demand.
Since the beginning of MY 2011-2012, Ukraine has exported 9.65 million tons of grain, an increase of 2.86 million tons (29.6%) over last year.
The 2011 grain harvest was 56.7 million tons.