KIEV, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine expects the second-largest grain harvest in its history this year mainly due to strong corn yield, the country's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said on Monday.

According to a statement on the ministry's website, Ukrainian farmers are forecast to have a grain harvest of about 64 million tons in 2018, compared with 61.3 million tons in the previous year.

In the current marketing year, between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019, Ukraine plans to export 42.5 million tons of cereals, the statement said.

In the previous marketing year, Ukraine sold abroad 39.4 million tons of grain. During the period, China was Ukraine's largest corn importer, accounting for 16.4 percent of the total maize exports, and the second-largest barley importer with exports share of 19.3 percent.

Ukraine's grain harvest reached an all-time high of 66 million tons in 2016.