The FINANCIAL -- Nearly 30% of winter rapeseed seedlings in Ukraine show weak and thinned condition, declared Ivan Demchak, the Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy. According to him, only 75% of winter rapeseed sowings from 1.4 mln ha of initial sowing areas received rapeseed seedlings.

The weather conditions of the first autumn months in Ukraine lowered growing potential of winter grains. The deficit of precipitations at all territory of Ukraine caused the slowdown of field sowing works, and made agrarians to correct own plans. For example, the company “Ukrzernoprom”, the large-scale producer of rapeseed in Ukraine , lowered rapeseed sowing areas for the harvest-2010 by 8.5% (or 5 thsd ha – to 54 thsd ha) compared to the previous year sowing areas, due to the weather conditions.

The influence of the weather factor became stronger due to the savings on agricultural technologies because of the financial crisis.

In 2009, the general oilseed production in Ukraine is expected at the level of nearly 9 mln tonnes, including 6.1 mln tonnes of sunflower, 1.89 mln tonnes of rapeseed, 950 thsd tonnes of soybean. In 2009, the sowing areas of sunflower totaled 4.16 mln ha, rapeseed areas – 1.4 mln ha, soybean – 600 thsd ha.

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