Ukraine could double food exports, strategy draft says
Photo: Ukraine could double food exports (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of agricultural products in the world and is a global supplier of food to the world. However, exports could double, according to the draft Food Security Strategy of Ukraine, published for discussion on the website of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FTU).
"According to the trends in the development of the domestic agro-industrial complex, in the medium term, the potential for agricultural production in Ukraine could reach up to 200 million tons, and grain and oilseeds - up to 150 million tons, which could almost double the volume of exports of agricultural products and processed foods, ready-to-eat foods," the document says.
According to the authors of the draft strategy, the Ukrainian agro-industrial complex can become the most attractive win-win investment portfolio in the short term. The investment portfolio of the domestic agricultural sector is estimated at $57 billion.
Consumption in Ukraine
According to the document, consumption of the main types of agricultural products per capita in 2023 was expected to be at the level of previous periods and amounted to cereals - more than 100 kg/person (the share of imports is 1.6% of the food consumption fund), sunflower oil - 7.4 kg/person (the share of imports is 0.4% of the annual consumption fund), sugar - 27.7 kg/person (the share of imports is 1% of the annual consumption fund) meat of all kinds - 54.5 kg/person (import share - 5.6% of annual consumption), eggs - 253 pcs/person (import share - 2% of annual consumption), milk - 203.6 kg/person (import share - 6.1% of annual consumption).
At the same time, according to FAOSTAT, the average dietary intake of total protein in Ukraine in 2018 was 88 g/person/day (Poland - 104.7 g/person/day, Germany - 104.3 g/person/day), including animal protein - 40, 7 g/person/day (Poland - 57 g/person/day, Germany - 62.7 g/person/day), and the average energy content of the diet compared to the minimum required in Ukraine in 2020 was 123% (Poland and Germany - 140% each).
Harvest in Ukraine
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine has raised its harvest forecast due to a record grain harvest. The total harvest of grains and oilseeds for 2023 is 81.3 mln tons.
According to the Ministry, grain yields increased to 54.7 c/ha. This is a record high for Ukraine.
The high harvest was one of the main factors behind low inflation in the second half of 2023, which fell to 5.1%, the lowest level since 2020.
