Ukraine harvests 3.6 mln T grain - ministry
Yields are far below last year's levels so far
15 July 2022
2 minute read
By: Ukrainian farmers have threshed 3.6 million tonnes of grain of the 2022 grain harvest from about 10% of the sowing area, reported Reuters, citing the Ukrainian agriculture ministry on Friday.
The ministry said in a statement that the yield averaged 2.93 tonnes per hectare.
Ministry data showed that the volume included 1.7 million tonnes of wheat with an average yield of 2.88 tonnes per hectare, 1.8 million tonnes of barley with a yield of 3.09 tonnes per hectare and 77,300 tonnes of peas with a yield of 1.84 tonnes.
The grain yield is far below last year's level that analysts and producers explain both by a sharp rise in the cost of fertilisers and other necessary materials due to the blocked seaports, and by unfavourable weather in the south of the country, where harvesting is currently underway.
Last year, wheat yield stood at 4.53 tonnes per hectares, barley - at 3.82 tonnes, while grain overall yield was 5.38 tonnes.
The ministry said farmers also harvested 679,200 tonnes of rapeseed from 133,700 hectares or 11% of the sown area.
Ukraine, a major global grain grower and exporter, harvested a record 86 million tonnes of grain in 2021. That included 42.1 million tonnes of corn and 32.2 million tonnes of wheat.
The government said this year's harvest could fall to about 50 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds.
Farmers have reduced the sowing area by about 25% because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and hostilities in some regions.
As a result, grain production could fall and exports seen at 30 million tonnes in the 2022/23 season which runs from July to June.
The fall in production and exports has stoked fears of a global food crisis, with the war and Western sanctions against Russia having driven up prices of grain, cooking oil, fertiliser and energy.
