KYIV: Ukraine 2022/23 winter grain sowing is almost complete as farmers have sown 4.5 million hectares or 94% of the expected area as of Nov. 29, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday.

The acreage included 3.8 million hectares of winter wheat, accounting for 94% of the forecast, ministry data showed. Farmers had completed winter wheat sowing by the same date in 2021 with 6.2 million hectares. Farmers have also sown 613,000 hectares of winter barley and 79,200 hectares of rye.

Deputy agriculture minister Taras Vysotskiy told Reuters last month that the ministry was keeping its forecast for the winter wheat sowing area for the 2023 harvest unchanged at 3.8 million hectares.

Ukraine traditionally plants winter wheat, which accounts for more than 95% of overall wheat output. In 2022, Ukraine harvested about 19 million tonnes of wheat.