21 Mar 2023 15:02

Ukraine to reduce crops of cereals, legumes 12% in 2023; increase oilseeds 12% - Ministry of Agrarian Policy

MOSCOW. March 21 (Interfax) - Ukraine should sow an area for harvesting grain and leguminous crops totaling 10.24 million hectares in 2023, a decline of 12.1% year-on-year, Ukrainian media reported, citing the Ministry of Agrarian Policy.

Oilseed crops are expected to increase 11.6% to 8.86 million hectares.

According to the ministry's forecasts, winter wheat crops should total 4.166 million hectares, a decrease of 834,000 hectares; spring wheat should total 285,000 hectares, an increase of 67,000 hectares; winter barley should total 536,000 hectares, a decline of 255,000 hectares; spring barley should total 1.041 million hectares, a rise of 111,000 hectares; and corn should total 3.618 million hectares, a decrease of 451,000 hectares.

Meantime, sown areas under sunflowers are forecast at 5.641 million hectares, a rise of 476,000 hectares; rapeseed at 1.374 million hectares, an increase of 110,000 hectares; and soybeans at 1.841 million hectares, a rise of 334,000 hectares.

The area under sugar beet is also expected to rise 22.2% to 220,000 hectares.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy previously reported that the forecast area for sowing for the main spring crops was 5.7 million hectares for the 2023 harvest in Ukraine, which is 3.4% less than in 2022.

It was also reported that Ukraine sowed 14.16 million hectares of land with the main agricultural crops during the 2022 sowing season, which was 83.7% of the figure of 16.92 million hectares during the 2021 sowing season.