Ukraine's agricultural exports set to break new records amidst challenges
Ukraine is nearing its second historical record for exporting agricultural products. By November 2024, the country had exported 80 million tonnes, and by the end of this year, the volume is expected to rise to 85 million tonnes.
According to the portal farmer.pl, the Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy, Vitaliy Koval, announced this record during the National Agrarian Conference "Harvest of Victory."
Ukraine is aiming for a record. This is how much agricultural produce it exports
The head of the ministry reported that within the first 11 months of this year, Ukraine exported 80 million tonnes of agricultural products. Experts predict that by the end of 2023, exports will increase to around 85 million tonnes. For comparison, in 2022, Ukraine exported a total of 74 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds.
According to the minister, Ukraine is approaching another record high in the export of agricultural products. In 2023, the country exported goods worth 22.1 billion dollars. This year, the export value could rise to 24.5 billion dollars.
Koval also noted that compared to the previous year, Ukraine exported fewer goods to the EU. Currently, 55 per cent of sales are made to EU countries, while last year it was 60 per cent. The minister explained that this decline results from the restoration of historical markets and the opening of new ones for Ukrainian food.
Ukraine's dubious record
Ukraine is the country from which most food is detained at the Polish borders. The WP Finanse editorial office asked the Main Inspectorate of Commercial Quality of Agricultural and Food Products about the number of decisions concerning the detention of food products from outside the European Union that did not meet the standards for admission to the Polish market, from July to the end of August 2024.
According to information provided by IJHARS, the majority of decisions concerned goods originating from Ukraine (18). Additionally, Moldova (4), Armenia (3), Myanmar (3), the USA (2), and Egypt, Vietnam, China, Serbia, Russia, and India (one decision each).
We also inquired about which products the inspectors' decisions concerned during the summer period. As reported by IJHARS, the most frequently questioned items were:
- Frozen fruits from Ukraine – 7 decisions on 7 batches, due to the presence of spoiled fruits with mould and an unusual colour for raspberries (in 5 batches), presence of cluster formations (in 3 batches), and presence of insect larvae (in 2 batches);
- Grains from Ukraine (buckwheat, millet) – 7 decisions on 7 batches, due to the presence of live pests (in 7 batches) and a noticeable chemical smell (in 2 batches);
- Ice cream from Ukraine – 2 decisions on 4 batches, due to improper labelling;
- Wine from Moldova – 4 decisions on 4 batches, due to improper labelling;
- Carbonated soft drinks from Armenia – 3 decisions on 3 batches, due to improper labelling;
- Rice from Myanmar – 3 decisions on 3 batches, due to the presence of live and dead pests.
