Slight increase in minimum export price of maize in Ukraine
14-May-2025 08:54 PM
Kiev. The government of Ukraine, a neighboring country of Russia located in the Black Sea region, on one hand has reduced the minimum export price (MAP) of wheat by $13 from $201 per ton in April to $188 per ton for May, while on the other hand, it has increased the minimum export price of maize by $4 from $185 per ton to $189 per ton.
It is worth mentioning that a few months ago, the Ukrainian government had banned the export of major grains and oilseeds for some time because the exporters were trying to ship it at a price below the price declared by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Ukraine is included in the list of top five exporting countries of maize, while it is also considered a major supplier of wheat.
According to official data, during the current marketing season (July-June) of 2024-25, 36.4 million tonnes of grain has already been exported from Ukraine, which includes shipment of barley,
apart from 19.3 million tonnes of maize and 14.3 million tonnes of wheat. Ukraine is considered to be the fourth largest exporter of maize in the world after the US, Brazil and Argentina. Countries like Russia, the US, Canada, Australia and France are ahead of Ukraine in wheat exports.
India has been importing a little maize from Ukraine occasionally, though not wheat, because non-GM crops are produced there. Ukraine, which has been deeply embroiled in a war with Russia for the last three years,
is affecting the production of wheat and other grains including maize and is also facing difficulties in its export shipments because some other ports including Odessa in Ukraine have been badly damaged due to Russian attacks.
To remain competitive in the international market, Ukrainian exporters are trying to export wheat, maize and barley at very cheap prices, which has led to a huge reduction in the income of its producers and the government is also losing revenue. Ukraine's foreign exchange reserves are decreasing rapidly while its debt is increasing.