SFS fights against the illicit export of grain

Some of the Ukrainian grain exporters are trying to understate the customs value of products while exporting from the ports. This was informed by the acting Chairman of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine (GFS) Miroslav Prodan at the Cabinet meeting.

"We are making considerable efforts in this direction. At the Odessa customs office and in the area of the Mykolaiv customs, grain for more than UAH 33 million was shipped on forged documents," says Miroslav Prodan.

The SFS has previously issued statements on the revealed violations in grain exports.

The Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council Mikhail Sokolov informs in his blog on AgroPolit.com that for unknown reasons the SFS in recent days has blocked the access to the sea of ships loaded with grain.

"As a result, both port and line elevators are filled with wheat, and the purchase prices for it instantly dropped from USD 210 per ton to USD 180 per ton. Traders have no reason for buying it because they cannot physically ship it, and the capacities for storage are running out. Moreover, there has appeared a threat of crop loss of the cultures, which are now harvested. They were to replace wheat. And now, due to problems with shipment, it may happen that there will no enough storage capacities, for example, for corn, a record harvest of which is expected in Ukraine," writes Mikhail Sokolov.

In his opinion, the only explanation for the SFS activities, which farmers could come up with, is that in this way the Government decided to contain the growth of wheat prices in the domestic market of Ukraine, despite the worldwide upward trend, thus not allowing bread prices to rise just before the elections.