The sowing campaign is actively carried out throughout Ukraine, except for Luhansk region

Russia continues to fight in the south and east of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces are resisting fiercely and conducting counterattacks, liberating new territories from the occupiers. After the defeat in northern Ukraine, Russian troops fled Kyiv, Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts, allowing the reconstruction of bridges, roads and other infrastructure, as well as demining, so farmers were able to begin field work in these regions.

Due to hostilities this year, the sowing of spring crops in Ukraine is much slower than the average for many years, although more active than last year, when cold and rainy weather delayed work. In addition, due to the fighting in March, many farmers were unable to sow spring barley and peas in time and will now switch to other crops.

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, as of April 15, 1.936 million hectares or 11.4% of the planned areas were sown with spring crops in Ukraine, including 1.239 million hectares or 16.6% of early grain crops (compared to 1.531 million hectares last year), namely:

• spring wheat - 146.4 thousand hectares or 76.2% of the plan (124.2 thousand hectares last year),
• spring barley - 742.9 thousand hectares or 55.6% (1.059 million hectares),
• oats - 112 thousand hectares or 63% (134.6 thousand hectares),
• peas - 100.5 thousand hectares or 41.5% (177.2 thousand hectares).

In addition, on this date in Ukraine sown:

• corn for grain - 122.6 thousand hectares or 2.2% of the planned (35.8 thousand hectares last year),
• millet - 2.8 thousand hectares or 3.6% (0.5 thousand hectares),
• sunflower - 433.7 thousand hectares or 6.7% (390.1 thousand hectares),
• soybeans - 20.9 thousand hectares or 1.6% (7.4 thousand hectares),
• spring rape - 14.1 thousand hectares or 42.4%,
• sugar beets - 74 thousand hectares or 32.6% (110.3 thousand hectares or 49.1% of the plan last year).

Agricultural enterprises have completed the first fertilization of agricultural crops with nitrogen fertilizers.

According to the State Statistics Service, 7.6 million hectares were sown with winter crops for the 2022 harvest, which is 0.3 million hectares less than in the previous year, in particular:

• winter wheat and triticale - 6.5 million hectares,
• rye - 109 thousand hectares,
• barley - 969 million hectares.

In addition, the area under winter rapeseed increased compared to 2021 by 442 thousand hectares to 1.414 million hectares.

Earlier, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy voiced pessimistic forecasts of sowing the main spring crops, according to which for the harvest of 2022 will be sown in the controlled territories of Ukraine 14013 thousand hectares, which is 2903.3 thousand hectares less than the previous year (16916.3 thousand hectares). However, Ukrainian farmers promise to sow as much space as possible, even in the occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhia oblasts, hoping for their quick liberation from the Russian occupiers.