Ukraine's grain harvest to drop by 37.7% in 2022

Ukraine's grain, oilseed and legume output is expected to drop by about 37.7 percent this year to 66 million tons, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Friday, citing an industry body, reported Xinhua.

According to the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB), Ukraine's wheat production will fall by 44 percent this year to 18 million tons, while corn output will shrink by 39 percent to 25.7 million tons.

The barley harvest is expected to be 5.2 million tons, around 55 percent below the previous year's level, while sunflower seed output is set to decline by 35 percent to 10.6 million tons, the UCAB said.

It noted that the grain output will fall mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has resulted in a reduction in planting areas and the inability of some farms to comply with all technological procedures.

At the same time, the UCAB emphasized that this year's harvest will be enough to fully cover the domestic demand and export some grain overseas.

In 2021, Ukraine harvested a record crop of grain, legumes and oilseeds totaling more than 106 million tons. In the first half of the current marketing year, which lasts from July 2021 to June 2022, Ukraine exported some 10 billion U.S. dollars' worth of crops and oilseeds, up 56 percent on an annual basis.