Ukraine starts 2017 grain sowing

Farmers plan to sow a total of 7.2 million hectares of spring grains this year, including 2.4 million hectares of early spring grains – barley, spring wheat, oats and peas, according to the report. Ukraine, the world's third-largest grain exporter, said the area under spring and winter grains would total 14.4 million hectares this year. About 7 million hectares of spring grains were sown last year, starting on Feb. 24 thanks to favourable weather. The country's 2016 grains harvest totalled a record 66 million tonnes, including 28 million tonnes of maize and 26 million tonnes of wheat. Traders have said that this year's wheat harvest could be lower because of a rise in winter losses and smaller yields. The ministry said that grain exports could reach 41 million tonnes in the current 2016/17 marketing year, which runs from July to June. Ukraine has exported about 29 million tonnes of grain so far this marketing year.