Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy raises projection for grain, oilseeds production to 76.7 mln tonnes

MOSCOW. Aug 10 (Interfax) - Ukraine's Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food has revised its outlook for grains and oilseeds: this year farmers could harvest around 56.4 million tonnes of grains and 20.3 million tonnes of oilseeds, the Ukrainian media reported on Thursday, citing the ministry's press service.

"At the beginning of the spring 2023, total gross yield for the current year was projected at 63.5 million tonnes, 13% below the 2022 figure. In June, after the harvesting began, the projection was raised to 68 million tonnes, 7% below the 2022 figure. Now, thanks to favorable weather conditions, there is every reason for a further upward change of the projection, to 76.7 million tonnes, 5% above the 2022 figure," the ministry's website says.

Despite the hectarage for harvesting spring and winter grain crops this year was 980,000 hectares smaller than the last, at 10,895 hectares, favorable weather led to record grain yields (up to 51.8 quintal per hectare), which allows for considerably bigger volumes of production, the website said.

By preliminary estimate, in 2023 grain production could be 20.9 million tonnes for wheat, 5.8 million tonnes for barley, and 28.1 million tonnes for corn, the ministry said.

Gross production of oilseeds would reach 20.3 million tonnes: sunflower seeds - 12 million tonnes, rapeseed - 4 million tonnes, and soybeans - 4.2 million tonnes, the ministry said. Farmers are expected to harvest 13.7 million tonnes of sugar beet this year.