Ukraine can set a new record for the export of agricultural products to the EU

This was told by the deputy director of the National Scientific Center "Institute of Agrarian Economics", corresponding member of the National Academy of Sciences Mykola Puhachov.

According to him, the volume of agri-food products imported from the EU countries to Ukraine for 9 months of 2017 increased against last year's indicators by 11.4%. In terms of value, it amounted to $ 1,581 million - about half of domestic imports of agricultural products at $ 3.2 billion.

"The volume of exports of domestic agro-food to the EU member states in the 9 months of 2017 has already reached the level of 12 months of 2016 and amounted to $ 4.2 billion," says Puhachov.

According to the estimates of the scientists of the Institute of Agrarian Economics, in 2017, the volume of exports of Ukrainian agricultural and food products to the EU may exceed record levels of agri-food exports to this region in the pre-crisis 2012 and 2013 of $ 5 billion.

According to the expert, six countries remain the largest trading partners for Ukraine in the EU - the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Italy, Germany and France. Their cumulative share in turnover is about 75%.

The main volume of supplies to Europe Ukraine provides at the expense of grain and oilseeds, as well as sunflower oil and oilcake.

In turn, Ukraine imports from the EU grain crops, oilseeds, cocoa beans and chocolate, various food products, alcohol and alcoholic beverages, processing waste and tobacco products.

Puhachov added that domestic exporters already fully used duty-free quotas for honey, wheat, corn, barley, oats, barley, flour, sugar, processed tomatoes, apple and grape juices.

In addition, since October 1, 2017, additional trade preferences of the European Union for Ukraine for three years have come into effect. According to them, the volume of duty-free quotas for honey (by 2.5 thousand tonnes), grape juice (by 0.5 thousand tonnes), barley cereal (by 7.8 thousand tonnes), processed tomatoes (by 3 thousand tonnes) t) and oats (by 4 thousand tonnes).

Also from January 1, 2018, preferences for cereals - maize (625 thousand tonnes), wheat (65 thousand tonnes) and barley (325 thousand tonnes) will come into effect.