March 23, 2011
 

Ukraine optimistic on grains as spring plantings begin

Ukraine predicted an increase of 3.5% in grain sowings in 2011 as Astarta, one of its largest farm operators, geared up for a sowing campaign which will increase spring seedlings by more than a quarter.

The Black Sea country's farm ministry said that grain sowing for this year's harvest was set to hit 15.6 million hectares, of which 133,300 hectares have been sown so far.

Harvest forecasts were also being heightened by decent availability of seeds, as compared to neighbouring Russia, where last year's drought devastated crop has left a hangover in seed inventories.

Furthermore, almost all winter grains survived the winter in good condition, as of Monday (Mar 21), said the ministry, and it also added that a crop of 42 million tonnes may be achievable this year, following a drought which reduced harvest to 39.2 million tonnes in 2010.

Although the crop is still susceptible to late frost, analysts said that while temperatures in Kiev were slightly below freezing this morning, they are increasing, and that good weather is expected for the planting season.

Meanwhile, Astarta said that the whole of its 45,000 hectares of winter crops had survived the winter in good condition.

It was getting ready to plant 160,000 hectares with spring crops, a 26% rise on year, aided by the procurement of 86 tractors, with 23 combined purchases as well.

"Our production subsidiaries have done a lot of work to prepare for the beginning of the sowing campaign to provide a significant increase in the production volumes for the current year," Viktor Ivanchyk, the Astarta chief executive, said.

"We plan to accomplish this by increasing the area of the cultivated agricultural land and higher targeted yield of major crops following application of modern agricultural technologies."

The group is planning an expansion in its area to 300,000 hectares by 2015, to provide for a doubling in grains, oilseed, sugar and milk production as compared to 2010 levels.