August 27 2003, 11:38 APK-Inform

Grain harvest in Belarus 87 pc completed

According to Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Belarus, as of August 26 the country's peasants harvested 1.77 million hectares of grains and pulses (without maize), which is 86.79 percent of the area. The harvested areas, the collected amounts of crops and the yields as of the date were as follows: winter rye - 462,160 hectares (94.55 percent of area), 1.069 million tonnes harvested at a yield of 2.314 tonnes per hectare; wheat - 226,630 hectares (84.31 percent of area), 634,680 tonnes harvested at a yield 2.801 tonnes per hectare; triticale - 296,900 hectares (92.87 percent area), 886,770 tonnes harvested at a yield 2.987 tonnes per hectare; barley - 484,150 hectares (89.11 percent of area), 1.386 million tonnes harvested at a yield 2.862 tonnes per hectare; oats - 193,440 hectares (90.14 percent of area), 540,240 tonnes harvested at a yield of 2.793 tonnes per hectare; buckwheat - 2,010 hectares (19.51 percent of area), 2,750 tonnes harvested at a yield 1.368 tonne per hectare; pulses - 94,670 hectares (53.22 percent), 223,010 tonnes harvested at a yield 2.356 tonnes per hectare.

Total grain crop over the country constituted 4.753 million tonnes with the average yield 2.708 tonnes per hectare, which is by 0.021 tonne per hectare higher than last year, the Ministry informs.

According to preliminary estimates, final grain crop with all categories of grain producers in the country will constitute 5.3 million tonnes, including 4.8 million tonnes in the state-controlled kolkhozes and 0.5 million tonnes in private peasant households. The crop will be by 1 million tonnes less than initially planned by government and by 700,000 tonnes less than last year.

Belarus' domestic demand in grain is estimated at 6 million tonnes per year.