Ukraine expecting bumper soybean harvest this year
Ukrainian farmers have sown 91% of the planned soybeans in an area of 1,317 hectares. They expect the cultivation area to be 1443 ha. For the same period in 2012 only about 1,245 hectares of soybeans were sown.
The data gives grounds for optimism, and according to experts, this year should be a record soybean harvest. In 2013, not only was a record soybean acreage (1.55 million hectares) sown, but also observed was the recovery of crop capacity up to 1.9 t/ha. Therefore, the experts expect the soybean crop will be about 2,9-3 million tonnes, which is about 500 thousand tonnes more than last year.
The total growth of the soybean crop in Ukraine is 21% and this leads us to expect that the processing of this crop in the country will increase by 17% (720 tonnes), which is a record for recent times. Soybean exports are also expected to increase by 22%, 1.95 million tonnes. In comparison last year’s figures were: processing of soybeans in the country – 615 thousand tonnes, exports – 1.6 tonnes.
President of UAC (Ukrainian Agribusiness Club) Alex Lissitsa argues that the productivity growth of this crop in Ukraine contributed to an increase in planted area. The development of this crop can increase the country’s competitiveness in the world food market.
Also, UAC experts note that the increase of soybean crop capacity was achieved through the use of new agricultural technologies in cultivating this crop.
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