Viticulture expert from Ukraine`s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food Volodymyr Pustovit says grape yield in Ukraine is projected to grow by 20-30% in 2016, to 400,000 tonnes.
”This year winegrowers will see higher yields as compared to the previous year, up by 20-30% with respect to all categories of the industry,” said Pustovit, the deputy head of the ministry`s department on horticulture, viticulture and winemaking development.
Despite the growth of the harvest, the Ukrainian vineyards will not be able to fully meet demand of the country`s wine making industry, Pustovit noted.He attributed this to the loss of a considerable share of vineyards in Crimea after the annexation of the peninsula by Russia.
”Due to the fact that in 2013 a large part of the vineyards remained in the territory of the annexed Crimea, Ukraine lost 30-32% of vineyards,” Pustovit said during round table discussions held in the framework of the UNIAN Agro project.
He also said the government pledged to significantly increase state support for the industry next year.
”The draft budget envisages UAH 75 million to finance a program on developing breeding plots, and on repaying arrears for previous years – about UAH 170 million,” the ministry representative said, noting that some UAH 15 million was only earmarked for these purposes in the 2016 budget.
General Director of Ukrainian corporation on winegrowing and wine industry Ukrvynprom Volodymyr Kucherenko stated the production of still wines [free of carbon dioxide] in Ukraine decreased more than 75% over the last five years, from 28 million decalitres (dal) produced in 2010 to 6 million dal in 2015. The industry was affected by the loss of many vineyards due to Crimea`s occupation, as well as a significant increase in excise duties, it is noted.
As UNIAN reported earlier, wine production in Ukraine decreased by 2% last year compared to 2014, to 17.35 million dal, according to the Agrarian Policy Ministry.
Ukrainian winemakers produced 6.4 million dal of natural grape wines, 4.7 million dal of sparkling and carbonated wines, 2.96 million dal of brandy, 1.4 million dal of fruit wines, 1.6 million dal of vermouth and 1.1 million dal of wine mixed with ethyl alcohol.
Ukraine exported $38.2 million worth of wine last year, which is down by 6.1% from 2014. Major importers were Russia (69.1%), Georgia (8.6%), Azerbaijan and Germany (3.4% each). At this, wine imports to Ukraine dropped by 41.2%, amounting to $56.4 million. Major suppliers included Italy (29.8%), France (19.3%), and Georgia (14%).
There are about 1,500 grape growing farms in Ukraine, and little more than 100 of them produce wine or wine materials legally.
