The Ukrainian government will not limit grain exports despite earlier warnings, Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Slauta said on Wednesday.
Wheat prices soared last week amid official warnings that quotas would be imposed from September 1. A record-breaking drought saw Ukraine's harvest forecasts falling from 47-48 million tons to 42-43 million tons.
The drought caused much worse damage to Russia's crops, destroying one-third of this year's harvest and forcing the government to ban grain exports and reduce harvest forecasts to as low as 60 million tons, or 38% less than last year.
Slauta said that "there are no grounds to limit grain exports" despite this year's extreme weather.
Ukraine plans to export 15-16 million tons of wheat this year, he added.
KIEV, August 25 (RIA Novosti)
