October 18, 2013
Ukraine will expand corn sowing acreage by 14.4%-18.8% in 2014, bringing the total area for sowing to 5.5-5.7 million hectares.
According to a local media, the government's statement said Ukraine will increase sowing areas under corn by 14.6%-18.8% in 2014 and may sow 5.5-5.7 million hectares of corn in 2014 against 4.8 million hectares this year.
Based on current forecasts Ukraine is expected to take the sixth position in the world's corn production (forecast - 26.5 million tonnes) for 2013-14; third for exports (forecast - 16.5 million tonnes); ninth for wheat and its products (19.5 million tonnes); and sixth for export of wheat and its products (eight million tonnes). In 2009 Ukraine was ranked 10th in the world for corn production.
Agroindustrial experts have noted that Ukraine's cornsowings grew twofold since 2010 and its crop capacity threefold. In 2013, corn sowing acreage reached 4.795 million hectares or 102% of the forecast.