In Ukraine, winter crops for grain and green fodder (excluding rapeseed) were sown by all categories of farms on 6.194 million hectares. This area is 18.8% lower than the corresponding figure last year, when 7.626 million ha were sown with winter crops. These data are provided in the final report of the State Statistics Committee. \n \nWinter crops for grain in the current year were sown by Ukrainian farmers on an area of 6.059 million ha (compared to 7.46 million ha last year). \n \nThe sown area of winter wheat in 2005 amounted to 5.139 million ha, which is 1.18 million ha (or 18.7%) lower than the corresponding figure in 2004. Winter rye in Ukraine in 2005 was sown on an area of 380.1 thousand ha (in 2004 - 661.1 thousand ha). The sown area of winter barley in the current year is 538.7 thousand ha (in 2004 - 477.6 thousand ha). \n \nWinter crops for green fodder (including rapeseed) in Ukraine were sown on an area of 418.4 thousand ha, which is 2.8 times higher than last year's figure (147.9 thousand ha).\n \nAccording to surveys of winter crops after the cessation of vegetation, by the end of November 36% of crops were in good condition. \n \nAs reported by the Hydrometeorological Center of Ukraine, on 38% of sown areas winter crops entered winter in satisfactory condition, on 26% - in unsatisfactory condition. Most of the areas with winter crops in unsatisfactory condition are concentrated in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Poltava, Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions (from 37 to 62%). In some areas, the grain began to germinate only at the end of autumn. In the western part of the country, winter crop sowings are mostly in good condition. \n \nThus, on the majority of Ukrainian areas (64%), the plants before entering winter are less developed than in previous years, with a height below the average long-term indicators and reduced frost resistance, experts emphasize. \n \nThe cessation of active vegetation of winter crops this year occurred in mid-November.