October 30 2003, 17:21 APK-Inform

Russia: fieldwork progress Oct. 28

According to Russian agriculture ministry, as of October 28 sunflower in the country was harvested from 4.1 million hectares, which is 78.4 percent of the scheduled harvest area. The seeds crop constituted 4.49 million tonnes, being by 1.8 million tonnes ahead of the last year's one as of the same period. The yield averaged 1.08 tonne per hectare, which corresponds to the last year's figure as of the period.

The ministry reports that maize has been harvested from 382,400 hectares, which is 51.3 percent of the projected area. The amount of collected grain is 1.4 million tonnes at a yield of 3.5 tonnes per hectare.

Agricultural enterprises have harvested vegetables from almost 112,000 hectares (84 percent of harvest area). The amount of harvested vegetables is 1.5 million tonnes, which is by 400,000 tonnes more than year ago. The yield has constituted 13.9 tonnes per hectare, which is by 1.45 tonne per hectare more than last year.

According to the ministry's data, all categories of Russian farming businesses have sown winter crops on 13.4 million hectares, including 12.9 million hectares of winter grains. This is by 1.1 million and 100,000 hectares, accordingly, less than the areas sown as of the same period last year.

The farms have performed autumn-ploughing on 24.5 million hectares (by 100,000 hectares more).