Ukraine is likely to boost its 2008 wheat crop to 19.1 million tonnes from 13.9 million in 2007 due to higher yields and a larger sowing area, Agriculture Ministry data showed on Wednesday. It also showed the barley harvest was likely to rise to 9.68 million tonnes this year from 5.9 million in 2007, while maize crop could rise to 8.4 million from 7.4 million a year earlier.
The ministry does not normally provide a detailed grain crop forecast, usually limiting the data to total harvest prospects. Ukraine's Farm Minister Yuri Melnyk this month said the 2008 grain harvest was likely to rise to 40 million tonnes from 29.3 million in 2007, when severe drought hit crops in most Ukrainian grain production areas.
Analyst forecasts are less optimistic as they put the crop near 38 million tonnes, including 18.4 million of wheat. The leading UkrAgroConsult agriculture consultancy said the 2008 barley crop could total 9.4 million tonnes, while the maize harvest could rise to 7.9 million tonnes. The ministry had also forecast the 2008 grain sowing area at 15.4 million hectares compared with 15.2 million in 2007, while the harvested area was likely to rise to 15 million from 13.4 million a year earlier.
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