April 25, 2012

The press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine declared that Ukraine planted early spring grains and leguminous crops throughout the areas of 3.6 million hectares or 96% of the forecast as of April 23, 2012.

According to the announcement, to date sugar beet planted areas already totalled 0.35 million hectares (64% of the forecast), corn - 0.35 million hectares (8% of the forecast), sunflower seed - 0.72 million hectares (17% of forecast) and soy - 56,000 hectares (4% of the forecast).

According to the Ministry, agrarians will re-plant the perished winter grain areas with the spring crops throughout the areas of 1.75 million hectares, the current level of re-planting totals 0.54 million hectares (31% of the forecast).

In 2012, the general grain areas (including winter and spring crops) are forecasted at the level of 15.8 million hectares, which practically corresponds to the index in 2011.