October 20, 2000

FORMER SOVIET UNION: WINTER-CROP SOWING NEARING COMPLETION, CONDITIONS GOOD

The fall sowing campaign in Ukraine is now complete. According to data released by the Ukraine Ministry of Agriculture and reported by the Bridge and Reuters news agencies, sown winter-crop area for 2001/02 totaled 8.5 million hectares (compared to 7.9 million last year), including 6.9 (6.4) million hectares of wheat. In Russia, meanwhile, fall planting is finished in the northern and central regions and is approaching completion in the south. Ministry of Agriculture data reported by Bridge and Interfax new agencies indicate that 12.6 million hectares of winter crops had been sown as of October 11, against a target of 15.4 million. This includes 11.9 million hectares of winter grains (up slightly from 12.3 million sown by the same date last year) against a target of 14.6 million. Dry weather during the first half of October enabled planting to proceed at an faster pace than in recent years -- roughly one million hectares per week for the past three weeks -- and compensate for earlier delays.

The recent dryness is reflected in the soil-moisture data for October 15, 2000. In most areas, moisture is adequate for successful germination, but additional precipitation will be needed within the next few weeks in order to ensure good establishment. (At roughly the same time last year, surface-soil moisture was extremely low in south-central and eastern Ukraine, and the dryness had expanded by mid-November. As a result, winter-grain establishment in this region was poor.)

For more information, contact Mark Lindeman with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 720-0888.