Ukraine has harvested 11.5 million tonnes of early grain so far, Agriculture Minister Oleksander Baranivsky said on Monday, confirming government forecasts for grain harvest and exports in 2005. He said in a statement published on the government Web site www.kmu.gov.ua that the pace of harvesting this year was double that of 2004. Ukraine had harvested 6 million tonnes of grain at the same date in 2004.
Average yield was 2.55 tonne per hectare while wheat yield was at about 2.8 tonne per hectare, Baranivsky said.
He also praised quality of grain and confirmed his earlier forecast for 37 million tonnes grain harvest this year.
"Despite all difficulties at the start of the sowing - lack of budget financing, deficit of fuel, fertilisers and machinery, Ukraine will harvest a considerable grain harvest of 37 million tonnes according to the plan," he said.
Last year, Ukraine harvested a record 41.8 million tonnes of grain.
Ukraine, which once was the breadbasket of the Soviet Union, has been slow to reform its agricultural sector and bring in new technology and investment. Thus, the harvests vary significantly and depends mostly on weather.
Weather in late July was favourable for successful harvesting of early grain and development of other cultures, forecasters said.
Baranivsky also confirmed his earlier target to export about 9.7 million tonnes of grains, including 6.7 million tonnes of wheat, this year.
The agriculture ministry has previously said farms planned to harvest a total of 12.564 million hectares of early grain this year compared with 12.166 million in 2004.