Ukraine Harvest/Exports

The harvest in Ukraine is drawing to a close with 90% of the planted area cut as at Oct 6, producing 40.35 MMT of grain.

Unlike their Russian counterparts, the Ukrainian ag Ministry's forecast of a crop of 42-43 MMT looks pretty accurate, a reduction of about 20% on last year.

Undaunted by lower output cash-starved Ukraine are matching last year's record export pace, having shipped 6.6 MMT already in the first three months of the marketing year to Sept 30. That's well over a third of their 2009/10 MY target of 18 MMT gone already.

Of that total 3.7 MMT was wheat, which is 15% up on the first three months of MY 2008/09.

On a positive note for the rest of us, at these rates the Ukrainian cupboards should be bear by the spring.

I've got a funny feeling about Ukraine. I feel somehow that they might have turned up at a party fashionably late, thinking they were cool clutching a bottle of Lambrini, only to find just a couple of die hard stragglers left.

Europe's over there throwing up down the back of the sofa. Russia's gone off to his private club in town with all the nice birds. And there's only the ugly twins of Bulgaria & Romania wearing skirts that are far too tight, with faces like a bulldog licking p*ss off a nettle, left.

Still, there's always next year's Eurovision entry to work on. "Happy ding dong p*ss p*ss boom boom" I think it's called, it's ever so catchy 12/1 with Ladbrokes, get in.