Ukrainian farmers shipped farm produce abroad to the tune of $10.4 billion in the nine months of 2016, which accounted for 40.2% of total national exports over the period under review, according to the Agrarian Policy Ministry`s press service.
Grain exports alone were estimated at $4.1 billion, exports of animal fat and vegetable oil amounted to $2.7 billion, the ministry said, citing data of Ukraine`s State Statistics Service.
Shipments of ready-to-eat foods from Ukraine to other countries were estimated at $1.6 billion, while exports of live animals and products of animal origin amounted to $590 million.
Meanwhile, Ukraine imported farm produce worth $2.78 billion over the period under review, which accounted for 10% of total imports, the ministry said.
From January to September 2016, the surplus of Ukraine`s foreign trade in farm produce was estimated at $7.6 billion.
As UNIAN reported earlier, farm produce exports from Ukraine in 2015 were estimated at $14.6 billion. Major export-oriented products are grain and sunflower oil. The share of farm produce in Ukrainian exports in 2015 was a record high level of 38.2%.
Last year, Asia accounted for 45% of Ukraine`s food exports and Europe for 28.2%. The share of Africa was 13.6%, and that of the CIS member states was 10%.
