Ukraine: Barley exports drop 4% over the first four months of season 2017/18

Usually barley exports from Ukraine decrease in October. According to results of the month, Ukrainian exporters supplied 416.1 thousand tonnes of barley to foreign markets, which is 21% below the same period last year (525 thousand tonnes in October 2016), UkrAgroConsult reported.

During the four months of the 2017/18 season, barley exports from Ukraine were only 4% behind the last year's figure. During the reporting period, 3,544.4 thousand tonnes of barley were exported from Ukraine, compared to 3,693.4 thousand tonnes over the same period last season.

Saudi Arabia was traditionally the largest market for Ukrainian barley, importing more than 1.5 mln tonnes, or 43% of all barley shipments from Ukraine.

Shipments of barley from Ukraine to China set a new record in the 2017/18 season. Over the reporting period, Ukrainian exporters supplied about 790 thousand tonnes of barley to this market, which is 150% more than exports during the whole last season (300 thousand tonnes). The previous high of barley exports from Ukraine to China was achieved in the 2015/16 MY (647 thousand tonnes).

The increase in Ukrainian barley purchases by China is associated with a reduction of its production in Australia, which was the main barley supplier to this market in previous years.

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