Sowing season 2026: pace of spring crop sowing increases 1.5 times over one week, lag behind last year narrowed to 15.3%
As of April 20, farmers had sown 1.252 million hectares with spring grain and leguminous crops, representing 21% of the 2026 forecast, the press service of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture reported Tuesday.
According to statistics, over the past week farmers sowed 254,900 hectares, compared with 168,700 hectares the previous week. The pace of fieldwork increased 1.5 times; however, overall figures remain 15.3% behind last year's pace, when as of April 25, 2025, 1.479 million hectares had been sown.
The ministry said that barley has now been sown on 623,800 hectares (83% of the plan), peas on 238,300 hectares (87%), wheat on 158,800 hectares (85%), and oats on 117,500 hectares (85%). Corn sowing has intensified and reached 75,700 hectares (2% of the forecast), millet covers 1,200 hectares (3%), and buckwheat sowing has begun (10 hectares). Other spring grain and leguminous crops have been sown on 36,500 hectares (27% of the forecast).
The highest sowing rates for grain and leguminous crops are currently recorded in the Odesa region (168,200 hectares), Ternopil region (96,300 hectares), Mykolaiv region (89,400 hectares), and Poltava region (86,500 hectares).
At the same time, sowing of industrial crops continues, with 440,800 hectares already planted. In particular, 293,600 hectares (6% of the forecast) have been allocated to sunflower, and 21,800 hectares (1%) to soybeans. Sugar beets have been sown on 125,400 hectares, accounting for 64% of the planned area.
As reported, as of April 25, 2025, 2 million hectares in Ukraine had been sown with spring grain and leguminous crops. Specifically, corn accounted for 705,000 hectares, barley 702,100 hectares, wheat 199,800 hectares, peas 201,800 hectares, and oats 154,200 hectares. As of the same date last year, 1.237 million hectares had been sown with sunflower, 187,600 hectares with soybeans, and 228,500 hectares with sugar beets.
According to the ministry's forecast, the total area of spring grain and leguminous crops in 2026 will amount to 6.002 million hectares, of which corn will account for 4.418 million hectares. Among industrial crops, 5 million hectares are planned for sunflower, 2.04 million hectares for soybeans, and 197,200 hectares for sugar beets.