The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) has warned that the country could lose its corn and rapeseed exports to Europe due to the lack of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reporting by producers.
European biofuels regulations required the reporting of the whole GHG lifecycle on crops destined for biofuels production including cultivation, harvesting, storage and shipment, APK Inform wrote on 19 February. However, in the Ukraine, almost no reports existed apart from a 2017 GIZ-led study that showed Ukrainian production exceeded EU thresholds, particularly for corn.
In contrast, competitors of Ukrainian agricultural producers – such as exporters of rapeseed from Australia and Canada – had already prepared reports on their volume of GHG emissions two years ago, which the European Commission had already approved, APK Inform said.
Speaking about the issue, Serhiy Ivaschenko, UGA’s executive director, said if the government and Ukrainian producers wanted to continue having access to the European biofuel market, they would need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
