June 8, 2012

Ukraine's 2012 spring grain acreage up 17.1%

Ukraine's agriculture ministry announced Thursday (June 7) that for this year's harvest, the country has completed planting spring grains on 8.9 million hectares, or 17.1% more than last year.

The increase in spring grain planted area is designed to compensate for the winter grains destroyed by the unusually severe weather conditions. The ministry said total grain planted this year, including winter grains and spring grains, was 15.9 million hectares, the same as last year.

The agriculture ministry said earlier that inclement weather conditions in winter (and dry weather in the spring) meant Ukraine was likely to harvest this year 47.2 million tonnes of grain, compared with 56.7 million tonnes in 2011.