An increase in exports of sunflower and soybean products was observed in March 2017

According to ProAgro, in March 2017 Ukraine updated the record of monthly export of sunflower oil, increasing its volume by 54% in comparison with the results of February of this year. The record harvest, received in 2016, in combination with the active external demand for Ukrainian sunflower oil, stipulates the achievement of high results by processing companies. The total volume of output of such products since the beginning of MY 2016/17 exceeded the results of September-March of the previous season by 39%.

Kernel remains the largest exporter of Ukrainian sunflower oil, as well as sunflower meal/cake, according to the results of the last months of the 2016/17 season (21% – 22% of the total) . The key importers of sunflower oil of Ukrainian origin remain India and China, which together account for about 47% of the external shipments. In this case, sunflower seeds, on the contrary, are exported mainly to European countries, whose share in the total structure of external deliveries of such products is about 70%. Also, the European direction accounts for about half of the total volume of exports of sunflower meal/cake of Ukrainian origin.

The EU countries, such as France, Poland and Lithuania were the largest importers of rape and its processed products at the end of MY 2015/16. At the same time, export volumes in the current season significantly lag behind the results of the previous marketing year since a low crop yield has formed, respectively, a very limited export potential in this market took place. ADM Trading Ukraine, Cargill and Nibulon became the largest exporters of rape seeds by the result of July-March 2016/17, which account for slightly more than 40% of foreign trade deliveries of this product.

Gross harvests of soybeans in 2016 also reached a record value and led to an increase in the export of oilseeds in the current season. The aggregate volume of external shipments of soybeans in September-March MY 2016/17 exceeded by 72% the indicator for the same period of the previous season. Exports of processed soybean products increased as well. So, the total supply of soybean meal to foreign markets since the beginning of the current marketing year has exceeded the corresponding indicator of the last season by 17% and soybean oil – by 13%.

The main external consumers of Ukrainian soybeans from the beginning of MY 2016/17 have been Turkey, Iran and Egypt; soybean oil – Poland and India; soy meal/cake of Ukrainian origin – Hungary, Belarus, France and Georgia.