KIEV, UKRAINE — Ukraine has harvested early grain and leguminous crops on 1.5 million hectares (14% of the forecast) with a yield of 30.8 kg per hectare, compared to 29.6 kg/ha last year, for a total of 4.5 million tonnes of grain, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food Ukraine said on July 10.
 
The ministry reported the following totals:

• Barley harvested on the area of 806,000 hectares with a yield of 30.3 kg/ha (yield in 2014 was 28.1 kg/ha), with 2.4 million tonnes of grain threshed;
• Wheat threshed on an area of 579,000 hectares with a yield of 33.1 kg/ha (yield in 2014 was 31.2 kg/ha), with 1.9 million tonnes of grain threshed;
• Winter rapeseed threshed on an area of 146,000 hectares with a yield of 20.8 kg/ha (yield in 2014 was 19 kg/ha), threshed 304,000 thousand tonnes of seeds.
 
The end of June and the beginning of July was mainly characterized by moderate, sometimes cool weather with plenty of rainfall throughout the country.
 
The rains slowed harvesting of winter crops and led sometimes to lodging of crops, increasing their level of weed-infestation, and sometimes causing shattering and sprouting of grain in the ear. As a result, grain losses occurred and its quality indicators were significantly worsened.
 
Analysis of meteorological conditions of vegetation crops, crop condition, existing stocks of productive moisture in soil and agrometeorological calculations give reason to expect gross grain yield in 2015 in Ukraine within 59 million tonnes, which will satisfy domestic needs.