KIEV, Feb. 12 – The Economy Ministry has started issuing the first licenses for grain exports according to grain export quotas of 1.2 million tons, Ukrainian Grain Association President, Volodymyr Klymenko, told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Today, companies received their first licenses for grain exports," he said on Monday night.

The Ukrainian government set grain export quotas as of July 1, 2007 at 12,000 tons, considered by market players as a prohibitory measure. In November 2007, the cabinet decided to prolong the effect of the quotas until the end of the year, and additionally allowed the export of 1.2 million tons of grain from January 1 to March 31, 2008. On February 4, the quotas were distributed among 163 companies.