Agricultural market experts forecast the grain harvest in 2005 at the level of 38-40 million tons.
This was reported by Serhiy Feofilov, director of the "UkrAgroConsult" Analytical Center, during the Second International Conference "Black Sea Grain-2005: Regional Development Strategy."
"This year, winter crop losses will be smaller, moisture availability will be higher than it was last year... which is a very good foundation for the 2005 harvest," said Feofilov.
He noted that overall, the gross grain harvest in Ukraine will be approximately at the level of 2004.
In particular, according to "UkrAgroConsult" data, wheat harvest is forecast to grow from 16.53 [million tons] in 2004 to 17.87 million tons in 2005 due to the fact that winter crop losses this year were practically 2 times lower than in 2004.
The barley harvest will decline somewhat due to the prolonged spring - from 10.6 million tons in 2004 to 9.5 million tons in 2005; corn will be approximately at the level of 5.1 million tons.
As the "Ukrainian News" agency reported, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy assesses the condition of more than 90% of winter crops as satisfactory and good.
According to the State Statistics Committee, in 2004 farmers sowed 7.44 million hectares of winter grain crops for the 2005 harvest.