KYIV, UKRAINE — The Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said on Dec. 14 that Ukraine has improved its grain exporting status due to the improved grain harvest and reduction of limitations on export millage.

Prysyazhnyuk said that Ukraine was leading in world barley exports, ranking number one globally. In 2011 wheat export of Ukraine landed the country the 6th position on the global market, according to the minister. Moreover, this year Ukraine became the third corn supplier in the world, surpassing Brazil and being the second runner-up to the U.S. and Argentina. Overall, in 2011 Ukraine increased its agricultural export by 30%.

Ukraine cropped the record amount of grain in 20 years since declaring independence. The unprecedented harvest — over 55 million tonnes of grain — as well as the removal of the export taxes and quotas contributed to the export boost in 2011. The decision of the Ukrainian government to refrain from limiting the country's grain export in the future went public last week.

Last year Ukraine took the fourth spot on the list of world's leading grain exporters, following the U.S., the E.U., and Canada.

Given Ukraine's rich grain production in 2011, this August the country initiated the creation of the world's grain reserve under the auspices of the United Nations. Prysyazhnyuk explained that Ukraine aimed to form a grain reserve of 10 to 12 million tonnes, preserve it and make grain interventions on the market following the respective decisions by the UN. This would allow for more efficient price regulation on the world grain market.