Sowing campaign underway in 20 regions of Ukraine - PM Shmyhal

KYIV. March 31 (Interfax-Ukraine) - A sowing campaign has begun in 20 regions of Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

"A sowing campaign has started in 20 regions of Ukraine. This is positive news indeed, as at this same time last year, a sowing campaign had started in only 15 regions," Shmyhal said in an address on Thursday.

He expressed cautious optimism about the size of areas on which spring crops could be planted.

The tentative findings indicate that crops could be planted on 6 million hectares, which is some 80% of the area that was planted last year, he said.

Shmyhal thanked Ukrainian agrarians. "They will determine future food security of this country and the world," he said.