Ukraine exported 207.6 KMT of wheat flour in July-March 2018/19, or 41.6% less than in the same period in MY 2017/18 and down 20% from the five-year average for this time, reports UkrAgroConsult.
This pace of exports does not contradict that of flour production in Ukraine, which fell by 13% to 391.1 KMT in Q1 2019 compared with 448.5 KMT in January-March 2018.
China, the top importer of Ukrainian flour, slashed its purchases by 62% in July-March 2018/19, to 39.9 KMT against 105.5 KMT in the same period last season. Flour exports to the EU, one of last season’s key markets, also plummeted by 81% in the reporting period. In addition, Ukraine substantially reduced flour supplies to the UAE (-38%), Israel (-28%) and Somalia (-15%).
Singapore has become the second biggest destination this season: it imported 29.8 KMT of Ukrainian flour in the period under review, or already 44% more than in the whole of MY 2017/18. Also, Lebanon imported 7% more flour in July-March 2018/19 than in the whole of MY 2017/18.