Ukraine had sown four million hectares with winter grain crops as of September 27, 2010, which was 47% of the target, the Agriculture Ministry has said.
As of the same date in 2009, farmers had sown 3.73 million hectares with winter grain crops, the ministry said.
In particular, in 2010 winter wheat was sown on 3.67 million hectares (54% of the target) against 4.43 million hectares as of the same date last year.
Winter rapeseed crops were sown on 960,000 hectares, which was 78% of the target.
The ministry forecasts that almost 8.5 million hectares will be sown with winter grain crops this year; this includes 6.76 million hectares to be sown with winter wheat crops.
In 2009, Ukraine sowed winter crops for the year 2010 harvest on 10.1 million hectares, which was almost 3% up on 2008. In particular, areas under winter grain crops expanded by 3.7%, to 8.6 million hectares.
Areas under winter wheat alone were almost 6.7 million hectares, which was 2.6% up year-over-year, and those under barley were almost 1.6 million hectares, which was 25.4% up.
