Ukraine reduced sown area by 25%

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Урожай зерно

The expected sown area of all categories of farms in the controlled territory of Ukraine for the harvest of 2023 should be 21.8 million hectares, which is 6.8 million hectares less than in 2021 (28.6 million hectares). The Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported this the day before.

“If we are talking about the sowing campaign, then we cannot yet use about 25% of the area due to hostilities or temporary occupation of territories,” said Taras Vysotsky, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.

According to him, after the de-occupation, it will take a lot of time to clear mines and clean up the territories.

“What the occupier leaves requires at least several months, or even up to a year, to return to production,” he said.

Vysotsky added that another part of the area could not be sown due to unfavorable weather conditions. Therefore, in the spring it is necessary to cover the deficit of unsown winter crops.

He acknowledged that it is now difficult to predict gross crop yields, which will significantly depend on weather and climate conditions during field work, as well as financial and logistical support for a particular agricultural producer. Including – from the presence of seeds and fertilizers. Already now it is possible to predict a decrease in their introduction to 50% of scientifically based norms due to higher prices. And the use of cheaper technologies provokes a decrease in production.

Vysotsky stated that expensive logistics remain a key problem for farmers. Also, according to him, the energy crisis has a negative impact on the agricultural sector.

Earlier, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy predicted that by the end of 2023, the physical reduction of the crop in Ukraine will be 10-15%. At the same time, oilseeds — rapeseed and sunflower, as well as soybeans — are becoming priorities for farmers.