Ukraine, among the world's major sunflower oil producers and exporters, produced 97,900 tonnes of crude sunoil in February, 13.3 percent down from January, the State Statistics Committee said on Monday. The committee said Ukraine had produced 211,000 tonnes of sunoil in January-February 2005, down 11.8 percent from the volume produced in the same period in 2004.
The committee gave no reason for the decrease while analysts said vegetable oil producers had slower output because of a lack of raw seed for crushing this season.
"A shortage of seed, high domestic sunseed prices and unclear sunoil export and domestic prospects are the main reasons for the decrease in output," ProAgro agriculture consultancy said in a statement. Last month, analysts said Ukraine increased its sunoil exports to 68,600 tonnes in January 2005 from 65,700 tonnes in December and 47,900 tonnes in November.