National Innovation Projects

In 2018, the sowing area under buckwheat may be reduced due to the expansion of late spring crops sowings, such as corn and sunflower, reports propozitsiya.com with reference to the APK-inform. This situation is the result of price reduction for this crop.

So, according to farmers, the average price of buckwheat is currently 7 thousand UAH / ton, which is twice as low compared to the previous year.

However, respondents note that the weather conditions stimulate sowing campaign, according to agronomic terms.

Ukrainian farmers have sown 5.6 million hectares of spring grains or 76 percent of the total area as of Monday, the country’s Agriculture Ministry said.

Farmers have sown 1.6 million hectares of spring barley, 408,000 hectares of peas, 181,000 hectares of oats, 158,000 hectares of spring wheat and 3.3 million hectares of maize, the ministry said in a statement.

Farmers plan to sow 7.38 million hectares of spring grains this year, including about 4.6 million hectares of maize, 1.6 million hectares of barley, 423,000 hectares of peas, 204,000 hectares of oats and 177,000 hectares of wheat.

The sowing areas will be restructured. Agrarians will plant more corn to compensate for the insufficient sowing of early cereals, reports APKinform.According to analysts, the harvest of corn in 2018 will total 28.2 million tons and will exceed last year’s number by 14%. The export potential of culture in 2018/19 MG is estimated at 21 million tons, which can fully meet the needs of key importers.

Analysts note that the main buyer of Ukrainian corn is UN. Its import totaled to 47% of all Ukrainian corn export in October-March.

Volodymyr Topchiy, Director of the Department of Agrarian Policy and Agriculture of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food noted the uncontrolled influx of applications for compensation of 80% of the cost of planting material, reports propozitsiya.com. «There are applications for2,200 hectares, including a couple of hundred hectares for those who will plant only berry patches.»

This year the state program of compensation of expenses for the laying of perennial plantations, including berries was renewed and 300 mln UAN was allocated. «Plant and the state will compensate 80% of the planting material,» explained the representative of the Ministry.