KYIV- Ukraine's Economy Ministry has increased the country's grain export forecast for the 2020/21 season to 45.42 million tonnes from the previous outlook of 44.18 million tonnes thanks to higher corn shipments, Ukrainian traders union said on Monday.
The ministry revised up Ukraine's 2020 corn harvest to 30.3 million tonnes from 29.3 million tonnes and increased 2020/21 corn exports to 23.5 million tonnes from 22.3 million.
Ukraine harvested a record 75 million tonnes of grain in 2019, including 35.9 million tonnes of corn.
The ministry and agricultural unions will decide later on Monday whether to limit corn exports this marketing season, a move called for by animal feed and meat producers.
Domestic livestock and poultry producers' associations this month asked the government to limit corn exports in the 2020/21 season to 22 million tonnes to avoid a shortage of animal feed.
Grain exports from Ukraine have fallen to 28.3 million tonnes so far this season, which runs from July 2020 to June 2021, including 11 million tonnes of corn.
Ukraine, among global major grain exporters, sold abroad about 57 million tonnes of grain in the 2019/20 season.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Edmund Blair and Louise Heavens) ((pavel.polityuk@tr.com; +380 44 2449150; Reuters Messaging: pavel.polityuk.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
