Ukrainian farmers thresh 68.5 mln tonnes of grain as of Nov 29

Ukrainian farmers threshed 68.5 million tonnes of grain from 14.5 million hectares as of November 29, which accounted for 98% of the projected figure with a yield of 4.72 tonnes per hectare.

In particular, 34.3 million tonnes of early grain and leguminous crops were harvested from an area of 9.9 million hectares with a yield of 3.48 tonnes per hectare; and 33.3 million tonnes of maize from 4.3 million hectares, which accounted for 95% of the projected figure with a yield of 4.72 tonnes per hectare, the Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry's press service said.

Farmers also harvested 136,000 tonnes of buckwheat from 108,000 hectares (99% of the target) with a yield of 1.26 tonnes per hectare; and 78,000 tonnes of millet from 51,000 hectares (98% of the target) with a yield of 1.54 tonnes per hectare, it said.

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In addition, 13.8 million tonnes of sunflower seeds were threshed from an area of 6 million hectares (99.8% of the target) with a yield of 2.28 tonnes per hectare. Farmers also gathered 4.3 million tonnes of soybeans from 1.7 million hectares (99% of the target) with a yield of 2.58 tonnes per hectare; and 2.7 million tonnes of rapeseeds from an area of 1 million hectares with a yield of 2.61 tonnes per hectare.

Sugar beets output totaled 13.5 million tonnes from 273,000 hectares (98% of the target) with a yield of 49.4 tonnes per hectare.

The sowing campaign is underway simultaneously with harvesting, the ministry said.

As of November 29, Ukrainian farmers sowed 7.1 million hectares of winter grain, which accounted for 98% of the planned 7.2 million hectares.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the grain harvest in 2018 already exceeded the historical maximum at 66 million tonnes of grain gathered in 2016.

Ukraine harvested 61.3 million tonnes of cereals and leguminous crops in 2017, which was 7.3% down from 2016, according to the State Statistics Service.