KIEV, August 27. /ITAR-TASS/. The value of Ukrainian agricultural products exported to Russia in the last six months fell 31% on 2013 figures to $1 billion, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Andriy Dikun, said on Monday.
“Confectionary, dairy and meat, beer and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages and wine are likely to suffer the biggest losses” by the end of the year from Russian import restrictions imposed since Western nations sanctioned Russia over events in Ukraine, Dikun said.
“While exports to Russia tend to decline, supplies of Ukrainian products to other countries are growing,” Dikun said, noting Ukraine’s efforts to diversify agricultural exports, mainly to countries of the European Union and Asia.
In the first half of 2014, total agricultural exports increased by $344.6 million to $7.9 billion, the minister said. Grain accounted for 37% of the total, oil for 25% and agricultural products for some 27%.