After a disappointing year for maize and wheat production and exports, Ukraine has bounced back and expects record output and exports in the 2021-22 marketing season. This was stated in a Global Agricultural Information Network report of the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service.

Production of both crops collapsed in the 2020-21 season, when bad weather cut planting and output noticeably. For 2021-22, however, the USDA forecasts that Ukraine's maize production will rise 29 per cent on the previous season to 39 million tonnes, with exports likely to rise 41 per cent to 34 million tonnes.

Wheat production is expected to rise 27 per cent, to 32.1 million tonnes. Exports could reach 23.8 million tonnes, 41 per cent more than the previous season.

In the 2020-21 season Ukraine made a strong impact on the world market with its barley and maize exports. Some 70 per cent of its barley exports went to China. Between October last year and June this year, grain exports fell by 21 per cent, but maize exports rose by 67 per cent.

Source: Bonik Barta. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.