August 28, 2009
Ukraine completes 09' early grain harvest
Ukraine's farmers have completed the 2009 early grain harvest, threshing 36.7 million tonnes of the commodity bunker weight, Farm Minister Yuri Melnyk said Thursday (Aug 27).
Grain yield had averaged 2.84 tonnes per hectare against 3.40 tonnes a year earlier, Melnyk said.
Grain crop reached a record 53.3 million tonnes in 2008.
Analysts said the 2009 grain crop could total 40.7 million tonnes, including 19.4 million of wheat, 11.0 million of barley and 7.6 million of corn.
They predicted 2009-10 grain exports would fall to 17.05 million tonnes from 24.4 million in 2008-09.
