Ukrainian farmers harvest 79.2 million tonnes in 2023 - ministry

MOSCOW. Dec 29 (Interfax) - Ukraine has threshed 79.2 million tonnes of harvest of 2023, including 58.392 million tonnes of grains and 20.764 million tonnes of oilseeds, as of late December.

Grains and oilseeds were harvested from an area of 10,542,000 hectares with a yield of 55.4 centners per hectare, Ukrainian media outlets said with a reference to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.

In comparison with the figures recorded on the same date a year ago, the total harvest is higher by 23.6%, or 15.02 million tonnes, including grains by 19.7%, or 9.59 million tonnes, and oilseeds by 18.5%, or 3.26 million tonnes. At the same time, it needs to be taken into account that corn was harvested from 86% of crop areas to date this year, whereas it was harvested from 78% a year ago.

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, the yield of the major crops reached the following numbers in 2023: wheat 47.9 centners per hectare compared with 40.5 centners per hectare a year ago, barley 39.3 centners per hectare (34.7 centners per hectare in 2022), corn 78.1 centners per hectare (64.6 centners per hectare), peas 25.9 centners per hectare (22.8 centners per hectare), buckwheat 14.8 centners per hectare (13.7 centners per hectare), millet 22.7 centners per hectare (22.8 centners per hectare), sunflower 23.9 centners per hectare (21.7 centners per hectare), soybeans 26.5 centners per hectare (24.3 centners per hectare), and rapeseed 28.7 centners per hectare (28.6 centners per hectare).

In addition, 11.879 million tonnes of sugar beet were harvested from an area of 249,100 hectares. Although, unlike grains and oilseeds, its yield this year is lower than in the past year, 477 centners per hectare compared to 501 centners per hectare, the harvest of 2023 was higher than the last year's one by 31.9 % and reached 11.879 million tonnes of sugar beet thanks to the expansion of crop areas by 38.3%.

As reported, this season's winter wheat crops reached 4.166 million hectares (down by 834,000 hectares in comparison with last year), winter barley 536,000 hectares (down by 255,000 hectares), and rapeseed 1.374 million hectares (up by 110,000 hectares).

According to the newly improved forecast of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, Ukrainian farmers would be able to harvest 81.3 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds, including 59.7 million tonnes of grains and 21.6 million tonnes of oilseeds, in 2023.