FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 11/98 - THE UKRAINE (23 November)

The 1998 grain and pulse harvest is officially estimated to have fallen to 28 million tonnes, some 20 percent less than the official estimate for the 1997 harvest mainly due to adverse weather conditions. The maize crop was particularly affected and output is currently forecast to have halved to less than 2 million tonnes. The 1998 output of wheat is preliminarily estimated at 15.3 million tonnes, nearly 4 million tonnes less than FAO's estimate for last year's harvest while the coarse grain harvest is forecast to decline by almost 5 million tonnes to 11 million tonnes. By contrast, the pulse crop, planted early in the spring remained stable at around 1.1 million tonnes.

Despite the reduced harvest, the country is expected to export some 2.3 million tonnes of cereals from its large stocks. This compares with recorded exports of nearly 2 million tonnes in the 1997/98 marketing year, of which 1.3 million tonnes were wheat, mostly to destinations outside the CIS.

The outlook for the 1998/99 winter crops is uncertain. Indications are that the area sown to winter crops has remained fairly stable at 7.5 million hectares of which about 6.8 million are under grain. Floods in the Western Trans Carpathian region in November have caused loss of life and damage to infrastructure, affecting some 300 000 people. The Government has requested assistance from the international community.

Back to menu