February 7 2002, 17:03 Interfax-Ukraine

Early spring planting may hit the fields anytime

Because of early spring, planting campaign this year may be launched a couple of weeks earlier than usual.

The MinAP State Secretary said to Feb. 6 meeting in Khmelnytskyi that early vegetation of winter grain crops and perennial grasses are to be expected in southern Ukraine. With weather forecasts showing rich rainfalls in March beating the average standards for many years by 25% should make a favorable impact on the future crop.

Tentatively, this spring farmers should work about 18.2 ha of land of which 16.9 mn ha should be planted with spring grain crops.