You're reading: Ukraine threshes 35.3 million tons of grain by Sept. 9

Ukraine threshed 35.3 million tonnes of grain by September 9, 2011, from 11.6 million hectares, which was 75% of the target, according to the Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry.

The average yield of grain crops across the country was 30.5 centners (one metric centner equals 100 kilograms, or 220.46 pounds) per hectare against 25 centners per hectare as of the same date in 2010.

Farmers threshed 272,000 tonnes of maize from 57,000 hectares (2% of the target). Its average yield is 47.6 centners per hectare (38.1 centners per hectare in 2010).

Buckwheat was harvested from 188,000 hectares (63% of the target). Its harvest was 215,000 with the average yield being 11.4 centners per hectare against 8.4 centners per hectare. Millet was gathered from 128,000 hectares (78% of the target), the harvest was 252,000 tonnes of millet with the average yield being 19.6 centners per hectare (15.4 centners per hectare in 2010).

Farmers are still harvesting technical crops. In particular, as of September 9, 2011, they threshed 1.3 million tonnes of sunflower seeds from 723,000 hectares (16% of the target). Their average yield is 17.5 centners per hectare, against 15.2 centners per hectare.

Soybeans were gathered from 113,000 hectares (10% of the target), 222,000 tonnes of soybeans were harvested with a yield being 19.6 centners per hectare (13.9 centners per hectare in 2010).

As of September 9, 2011, farmers also gathered 893,000 tonnes of sugar beets from 25,000 hectares. Its average yield was 354 centners per hectare against 309 centners per hectare in 2010.

As was reported, the agriculture ministry predicts that the yield of grain in Ukraine in 2011 will exceed 50 million tonnes. Last year Ukraine harvested 39.3 million tonnes of grain.