KIEV, UKRAINE — Ukraine, in the midst of drought as well as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will likely reach its wheat export quota for the 2020-21 marketing year by next March or April, traders told Reuters on Oct. 22.

Traders and the Ukrainian government have agreed that the volume of wheat available for export this July-June season must not exceed 17.5 million tonnes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led some countries to impose quotas on grain exports for the current marketing year to ensure adequate domestic supplies.

Meanwhile, Ukraine grain production in 2020-21 could fall to 68 million tonnes, down from a record 75 million tonnes due to severe drought across most parts of the country.

Winter crop sowing includes 4.6 million hectares of winter wheat, or 76% of the expected area, and 628,300 hectares of winter barley, or 66% of the anticipated area.

As of Oct. 23, Ukraine had exported 10 million tonnes of wheat (about 57% of the quota), according to data from the Ukraine economy ministry. It also showed that the country’s overall grain exports have fallen by nearly 13% so far this season.

Traders told Reuters that an additional 1 million tonnes of wheat were due to be exported in the coming weeks and at least 3 million tonnes of wheat had already been contracted for future exports.