KYIV, Sept 25 – Ukrainian farms have sown 5.172 million hectares to winter crops so far this season, including 4.302 million hectares to winter wheat, the government press service said on Monday. Farms sowed 5.748 million hectares to winter crops by the same date in 1999.
The agriculture ministry says farms plan to sow to winter crops a total of 8.487 million hectares compared to 8.655 million hectares in 1999.
Ukraine plans to boost its grain harvest in the 2000/2001 season to a bumper 40 million tons from 24.5 million tons of grain, initially expected in 1999/2000.
The State Statistics Committee said last week Ukraine had harvested 21.215 million tons of grain by bunker weight so far this season, including just 10.8 million tons of wheat. This is the country’s worst crop since 1945.
Officials expect the grain sowing campaign to end in coming weeks, but analysts say bad weather and a lack of fuel may delay this year’s sowing.
