Ukraine 2019 spring grain sowing reaches 93pc of expected area

KIEV: Ukrainian farmers have so far sown 2.1 million hectares of spring grain crops for the 2019, harvest, or 93 percent of the expected area, the agriculture ministry said on Monday.

The ministry has said Ukraine's 2019 early spring grain sowing area is likely to total 2.284 million hectares and would include 175,000 hectares of spring wheat, 1.571 million hectares of spring barley and 347,000 hectares of peas.

It said Ukraine had also sown 545,000 hectares of corn or 12 percent of the expected area, and 202,000 hectares of sugar beet or 82 percent of the initially forecast area of 245,000 hectares.

Farmers had also sown 1.4 million hectares of sunflowers, out of 5.7 million hectares for the 2019 harvest, the ministry said.