As of July 25, 2012, Ukraine already harvested early grains and leguminous crops throughout the areas of 7.9 mln ha (80%), stated Nikolai Prysiazhnyuk, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
To date the harvesting campaign reached the final stage, explained the Minister. In the terms of the forecast for early grain and leguminous crops areas at the level of 9.9 mln ha, the agrarians already harvested crops throughout 7.9 mln ha. Ukraine already produced 18.3 mln tonnes of grains. A number of oblasts crossed the limit of 1 mln tonnes of harvested grain volumes. Thus, Odessa oblast already produced 1.5 mln tonnes of grains, Kharkiv and Vinnitsa oblasts - nearly 1.4 mln tonnes each, Cherkasy, Zaporozhye and Donetsk oblasts - over 1 mln tonnes each, said N.Prysiazhnyuk.
The Minister also noted that agrarians will reach the harvest volume not lower compared to the average during recent 5 years. In particular, Ukraine already harvested 12.1 mln tonnes of wheat, 5.5 mln tonnes of barley, 336 thsd tonnes of rye.
According to N.Prysiazhnyuk, the general production of early grains in Ukraine in the current year will reach 21.5 mln tonnes., including 14 mln tonnes of wheat. The Minister also stressed that the harvested grain volumes will be quite enough to meet the domestic needs of Ukraine.
The domestic consumption of milling grains totals 6 mln tonnes per year. Therefore, there is no reason to doubt about possible shortage of milling grains and bread, and the relative price increase, said N.Prysiazhnyuk.
