Kiev, Mar 14 (IANS): Ukraine's agricultural export is expected to remain at over $20 billion this year amid Russia's ongoing war against Kiev, a government official said.
In a interview, Taras Vysotsky, the first deputy minister of agrarian policy and food, said "we estimate the export potential at least at the level of the previous year -- more than $20 billion dollars" Xinhua news agency reported.
Ukraine's grain production, however, will drop this year as the country's farmers focus on planting oilseeds, he said.
The lower grain output in Ukraine may push global grain prices higher, Vysotsky added.
According to the Ukrainian Agriculture Exports Association, the country's agricultural exports dropped by 16 per cent to $23.4 billion last year as a result of the war.
The National Academy of Agrarian Sciences estimated earlier that Ukraine's grain production will drop by 37 per cent to 34 million tonnes in 2023.