Ukraine can export 24 million tons of grain this year, Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said at a meeting with a European Parliament delegation.

"Ukraine will sell 24 million tons of grain this year," Azarov said, while commenting on the situation with the establishment of quotas for Ukrainian grain as part of the signing of an agreement on the creation of a free trade area between Ukraine and the European Union, which, in his opinion, is disadvantageous for Ukraine as an agricultural country.

The head of government noted that at the last round of talks with EU representatives, the sides had reached an agreement to increase quotas for grain exports from 20,000 tons to almost 100,000 tons as part of signing the agreement on the FTA with the EU.

Azarov noted that Ukraine would increase grain production and that this year's grain harvest was expected at about 52 million tons. "We have a huge export potential. And it will grow thanks to the reforms in the agricultural sector, which we launched only this year. "

The prime minister expressed hope that the agreement on the free trade area would be signed before the end of this year. "We are very optimistic, and we will sign the agreement on the free trade area with the European Union by the end of this year," Azarov said. He noted that Ukraine was ready to reach a compromise for the sake of the Ukrainian economy entering the high-tech market.

Ukraine completed the harvesting of early grain and leguminous crops on an area of 11.2 million hectares and threshed 34.2 million tons of grain, with a yield being 30.6 quintals per hectare.

Farmers harvested 23.2 million tons of wheat (a yield of 34.7 quintals per hectare), 9.5 million tons of barley (25.6 quintals per hectare), 389,000 tons of peas (15.4 quintals per hectare), 604,000 tons of rye (21.6 quintals per hectare), and 1.4 million tons of rapeseed (17.3 quintals per hectare).

UKRINFORM