Ukraine and China have completed the agreement of biosecurity requirements for corn, which will allow the start of maize exports to China by the end of this year, according to the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry.
According to a ministry press release, a relevant biosecurity protocol was signed in Beijing on November 9, 2012 between the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry of Ukraine and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China.
“This protocol allows the export of corn to China if all biosecurity requirements are observed. This is the key document that allows us to fulfill our credit obligations,” Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food Mykola Prysiazhniuk said.
He said that Ukrainian maize would be supplied both in accordance with international agreements and by private companies under the contracts they sign.
Ukraine intends in the near future to supply China with a list of Ukrainian enterprises that are interested in making corn supplies and that meet biosecurity norms.
According to the minister, Ukraine has supplied applications to agree with China biosecurity norms for soybeans, rapeseeds, barley and wheat.
The ministry estimates the potential of Ukrainian maize exports in the 2012/2013 marketing year at 12.5 million tonnes, 3 million tonnes of which has already been delivered to foreign markets.
