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A record low yield of winter grain crops is expected in 2016, being projected at about 20 million tonnes, according to the UkrAgroConsult agency's press service, which quoted leading grain market analyst Elizaveta Malyshko as saying.
"Ukraine will be able to harvest about 20 million tonnes of winter grains in 2016," the press service said.
The abnormally warm weather conditions in the first half of the winter season may affect a gross yield of winter crops, the expert noted.
"On the one hand, the conditions are favorable for the crops due to the absence of frosts. On the other hand, as a result of a warm spell, sprouts become less resilient. Thus, there is a greater risk that the crops will be damaged with the onset of typical winter conditions but with no snow," the statement said.
What is more, areas sown under winter crops in 2015 were a record small acreage.
"Planting for the 2016 harvest remains at the lowest level in the past decade. The situation is similar with barley, facing the smallest planted area in the past eight seasons," the report said.
According to UkrAgroConsult, the planted area for winter grain crops has shrunk by 860,000 ha to 7.1 million ha, in particular, areas under winter wheat occupy 6 million ha, с
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian farmers harvested 61.1 million tonnes of grain in 2015.
The State Statistics Service said the areas sown with winter grains and green fodder for the 2015 yield were 9 million ha, which was 7.3% larger than the areas sown for the previous year's harvest.