KYIV, Oct 6 - Kernel, one of the largest Ukrainian agrarian groups, intends in the 2021 season (July-June) to increase grain exports from Ukraine by 20.3%, to 9.5 million tons and sunflower processing by 1.7%, to 3.5 million tons, according to the annual report of the holding company of the group Kernel Holding SA (Luxembourg).

According to the report, the company predicts a reduction in harvest this year for all key crops in Ukraine.

"The sunflower harvest in the 2021 fiscal year is expected to decline by 14% year-over-year, to 14.2 million tons, while the grain harvest is likely to decline by 8%, to 67 million tons for three main crops: corn, wheat and barley. This means that competition for raw materials will intensify, although the upward trend in the world commodity prices will partially offset the downward pressure on the profitability of all our segments in the new season," the head of the Kernel board of directors, Andriy Verevsky, said.