Companies@UA: База компаний Украины

Kyiv, July 28 (Interfax) - Ukraine has already exported 1.5 million tonnes of grain in the new agricultural year, which runs from July 2009 to June 2010, Agricultural Policy Minister Yuriy Melnyk told journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday.

"As of today, 1.5 million tonnes [of grain] have been exported in July," he said, noting that Ukraine could export a total of 1.75 million tonnes of grain this month.

The ministry predicted earlier that Ukraine would export 17 million tonnes of grain in the current agricultural year compared to 24.7 million tonnes in the previous agricultural year.

Melnyk also said that Ukrainian farmers had harvested 22 million tonnes of grain this month.

Food grain accounts for 36% of the harvested grain so far and should account for 40% once the harvest is over, he said.