KYIV: Ukraine has sown a total of 4.4 million hectares of spring grains as of May 6, or 58% of the expected area, agriculture ministry data showed on Friday.

Farms have sown 2.4 million hectares of corn, 1.3 million hectares of barley, 226,400 hectares of peas, 172,200 hectares of wheat and 185,400 hectares of oats.

The overall grain area is likely to total 15.5 million hectares this year, including 7.6 million of spring grains, the ministry has said.

The spring sowing area is expected to include 1.388 million hectares of barley, 176,600 hectares of wheat, 5.327 million hectares of corn, 194,050 hectares of oats and 235,400 hectares of peas.

Generally favourable weather could help farmers to increase the grain crop to 75 million tonnes this year from 65 million in 2020.

The ministry said farms had also sown 3.2 million hectares of sunflower, 223,000 hectares of sugar beet and 254,800 hectares of soy beans so far.

The ministry has said the area for sunflowers could total 6.4 million hectares, soy beans 1.4 million hectares, and sugar beet 226,900 hectares in 2021.