Ukraine corn may replace US corn in China

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine the increase in corn exports to China may allow Ukraine’s total corn exports for 2014 to almost double.

“Corn remains a major crop exported by Ukraine. Therefore, we are rapidly increasing its exports. This is confirmed by the results of supplies in 2013. Before the New Year farmers supplied 9.5 million tonnes of corn of the new harvest to foreign markets, ie. over three million tonnes more than in the same period of the previous marketing year,” Agricultural Policy and Food Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk said.

“We also have to preserve such high dynamics after the New Year. In general, we are planning to export about 19-20 million tonnes of corn. This is a record figure for Ukraine, which will help it take third place among the world’s leading suppliers of this type of grain,” Prysiazhniuk said.

According to Ukrainian marketing experts the country could increase supplies to China by 5-6 mln tonnes, thus taking the largest part of the US share of the market. Experts added that Ukraine corn has a number of competitive advantages over US production, in particular it is completely GMO-free.