You're reading: Agriculture minister says share of coarse grain may grow due to heavy rains

The share of coarse grain in this year's grain yield may grow compared to the previously forecasted level because of heavy rains, according to Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk.

"No doubt the share of bread grain will be declining because of rains," he told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday.

In his words, early grain crops in some regions have started to sprout because of the rainy weather. He expressed hope that the end of the rains from July 7-8, as is forecasted by the weather service, would improve the situation in the field.

However, Prysiazhniuk said that the minister had not changed its projections of this year’s harvest. In his words, the rainy weather was favorable to the late crops, namely maize whose yield could compensate for a possible shortfall of early grain crops.

As was reported, the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry forecasts that Ukraine will harvest 45 million tonnes of grain in 2011 against 39.3 million tonnes in 2010.