KYIV, April 16, 2003. The Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) and the London-based grain and fodder trade association GAFTA will hold a conference in Kyiv April 24-25 that will be dedicated to the Ukrainian market for grain according to Intelnews Daily on April 17th.

UGA Director Volodymyr Klymenko said the conference was planned to address the need for a system of warehouse certificates and a futures exchange of Ukraine.

Two-hundred-ten representatives of 120 companies and organizations from 20 countries worldwide have already become registered as conference participants.

Commenting on domestic grain market developments by request of IntelNews, Klymenko said chaotic tendencies prevailing at the grain market of Ukraine had stripped the market of US$100 million in investments, and that might have a negative effect on this year's harvest of grain crops.