Areas sown with agricultural crops in Ukraine (excluding the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea and the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone) for the 2015 harvest have dropped by 1.9 percent compared to 2014, to 26.7 million hectares.
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the total area sown grain and leguminous crops this year amounted to nearly 14.7 million hectares, which is 0.5 percent less than last year.
At the same time, the total area sown with wheat increased by 13.1 percent, to 6.85 million hectares, rice – by 14.7 percent (to 11,700 ha), while rye dropped by 19.6 percent (to 150,500 ha), buckwheat – by 5.7 percent (to 132,200 ha). The area sown with millet increased by 3.5 percent (to 106,300 ha).
Barley sowing this year decreased by 7.3 percent and amounted to 2.8 million hectares, maize – by 11.8 percent, to 4.1 million hectares.
According to the State Statistics Service, this year sunflower has been planted on 4.96 million hectares, which is 5.5 percent lower than in 2014, sugar beets – 238,900 ha (27.8 percent less). At the same time, rapeseeds areas declined by 22.4 percent , to 684,400 ha.
Potatoes and melon-field crops this year have occupied 1.814 million hectares, which is 4.5 percent less than in 2014.
