The Ukrainian Agricultural Ministry on Tuesday lifted its grain harvest forecast for this year to 47.2 million tons from 45 to 46 million tons estimated previously.
"If it rains in Ukraine's South regions, the harvest could reach even 48 million tons," Sergey Petrenko, the deputy head of the ministry's economic development department, said at an Agro Industry Forum held in Kiev.
Ukraine will have 11 million tons of grain in carryover inventories when the coming crop year begins on July 1, Petrenko said.
Thus, the country hopes to export 22 million to 25 million tons of grain between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, he said.
In the current marketing year, Ukraine has already exported around 19.7 million tons of grain, Petrenko said, adding that the country is expected to export some 3 million tones more until June 30, 2012.
In 2011 Ukraine saw an all-time record grain harvest of nearly 56 million tons./.