Agrarian Policy Minister: Ukraine expects to expand grain exports

“There are no grounds to curb any crop exports. On the contrary, he said the country expects to expand its global reach in the grains and oilseeds market,” Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Roman Leshchenko said in a comment to Bloomberg.

According to him, Ukraine plays a crucial role for the global supply chain and does not indent to follow the path taken by Russia that issued grain-export quotas and taxes to safeguard domestic supply and tame food inflation.

“The last thing we should do is to play games with protectionism, as we have a potential to become a food marketplace for the whole world,” Leshchenko stressed.

As noted, the Ministry would monitor food prices to help keep the market stable.

Ukraine is the world’s fourth-largest corn exporter, the top shipper of sunflower oil and a major supplier of wheat. Prices of those crops have rallied as robust Chinese demand helps tighten global supplies.

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