Ukraine is likely to keep its grain crop at a high 45 million tonnes next year, down about 10 percent from a record 50-51 million in 2008, but still well above average levels, Economy Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn said on Thursday. In his comments, published on the ministry's Web site, Danylyshyn gave no explanation for his forecast.
Ukrainian agriculture officials have declined to forecast next year's harvest, while analysts put the figure at up to 37 million tonnes. Deputy Farm Minister Serhiy Melnyk earlier this month said the 2009 grain sowing area is likely to remain at a high level of 15-15.4 million hectares despite the financial crisis gripping Ukraine and problems in securing loans. Last month, the ministry said farms had already sown 8.1 million hectares of the 2009 winter grains, 8 percent more than in the 2007/08 season.
The leading UkrAgroConsult said the winter wheat area had fallen to 6.3 million hectares from 6.9 million sown to the 2008 winter crop. The rye area shrank to 450,000 hectares from 505,000, while the rapeseed area fell to 1.3 million from 1.6 million.
UkrAgroConsult director Serhiy Feofilov this month said next year's crop might fall to 33 to 37 million tonnes owing to the crisis, which could reduce loans available to the sector. In 2007, Ukraine harvested 29.3 million tonnes of grain.
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