OREANDA-NEWS. October 29, 2010. 7.6 million hectares of crops are sown. The Agriculture Minister Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said that at a press conference in the Cabinet of Ministers.

"As of October 21 we have sawn 7,6 million hectares of crops: winter wheat - 6 million 300 thousand ha (last year at this time 6 million hectares of winter wheat were sown), rye - 317 hectares of planned 345 ha (last year - 295 hectares), barley - 970 thousand ha (last year - 1 million 100 thousand hectares)" - the Minister said. Thus Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said: "In general, we do not have any concern about the volume of hectares of winter crops sown."

The Minister also said that according to scientific statements today sowing of winter crops is possible in southern Ukraine, especially in Crimea, where recent rains have passed. "And we see, making such analysis, surveys, many households are focused on increasing crop of corn next year" - he said and recalled that the Ministry for the year increased the amount of corn and beet seeds.

At the same time Mykola Prysyazhnyuk said about the opportunities in Ukraine to increase grain production, but not by increasing the planting acreage. He said the crop in the segment must make two steps: First step - is to ensure technical re-equipment, especially harvesting machines, and the next - technical re-equipment of other agricultural products, which are involved in crops and grain processing. According to scientists, as Minister said, Ukraine lose because of lack of harvesting machines from 3.5 million to 5 million tons of grain, and because of lack of enough quality equipment to seed grain - about 2 million tons.