Ukraine to re-seed 500,000 hectares of winter grain

Ukrainian producers are likely to re-seed 500,000 hectares of winter grain sown to 2010 harvest and 400,000 of winter rapeseed, damaged by poor weather this winter.

"According to a preliminary data, about one million hectares of winter crops, including 500,000 of winter grain and 400,000 of winter rapeseed will be re-seeded this spring," Farm Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said.

He said farmers had sown 8.6 million hectares of winter grains to the 2010 harvest and about 85% of crops were in good and satisfactory condition.

Last month, Prysyazhnuyk said farmers were likely to re-seed the lost area with corn.

Analyst UkrAgroConsult has revised up Ukraine's 2010 grain crop forecast to 43.62 million tonnes from the previous outlook of 43.31 million due to a better condition of winter wheat. Farm Ministry forecast the 2010 grain crop at 46-47 million tonnes compared to 46 million in 2009 and 53.3 million in 2008.

UkrAgroConsult raised the estimate for wheat harvest to 18.46 million tonnes from 18.05 million.