KYIV (Reuters) -Grain traders union UGA on Monday cut Ukraine’s 2022 combined grain and oilseeds crop forecast to 64.5 million tonnes from the previous outlook of 69.4 million due to a smaller than expected harvested area caused by the Russian invasion.

The union said in a statement that Ukraine could export 32.8 million tonnes of its key agriculture commodities in the 2022/23 season, including 10 million tonnes of wheat.

The government has said Ukraine could harvest at least 50 million tonnes of grain this year, compared with a record 86 million tonnes in 2021, because of the loss of land to Russian forces and lower grain yields.

UKRAINE 2022 GRAIN/OILSEED CROP FORECAST

commodity                 2022 harvest (T)          2021 harvest (T)

Wheat                         19,000,000                    33,000,000

Corn                            24,000,000                   37,600,000

Barley                         5,400,000                      10,100,000

Sunflower seeds      9,000,000                      16,900,000

Rape seeds               3,000,000                      2,900,000

Soy beans                 1,800,000                       3,500,000

(Source – UGA)

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Edmund Blair)