Ukraine starts winter crop harvest, threshes first 217,000 t of grains, grain legumes

MOSCOW. July 3 (Interfax) - Farmers in southern Ukraine have begun harvesting winter wheat, barley and peas and has threshed 216,900 tonnes of grain from 66,200 hectares as of June 30 at an average yield of 3.28 tonnes per hectare, Ukrainian media reported, citing a statement from the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry.

Farmers harvested 205,500 tonnes of winter barley from 61,500 ha at an average yield of 3.35 tonnes/ha; 3,800 tonnes of winter wheat from 1,200 ha at a yield of 3.45 tonnes/ha; and 7,600 tonnes of peas from 3,600 ha at a yield of 2.11 tonnes/ha.

The ministry said the harvest is being led by Odessa region, which has cleared 37,400 ha, while Nikolayev region has the highest yield at 3.47 tonnes/ha.

Farmers in Odessa region have also begun harvesting rapeseed, clearing 900 tonnes of seed from 700 ha at a yield of 1.29 tonnes/ha.

The winter crop area this season totaled 4.166 million ha for wheat, 536,000 ha for barley and 1.374 million ha for rapeseed, respectively 834,000 ha less, 255,000 ha less and 110,000 ha more than the previous year.