The southern regions of Ukraine have started sowing sunflower and sugar beets, according to the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food.

According to its data, as of April 10 these crops had been planted on 39,200 hectares.

"The current weather conditions are favorable for sowing late spring crops," reads a statement, with reference to Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food Mykola Prysiazhniuk.

According to him, farmers have all necessary resources for sowing.

The ministry said that agricultural enterprises in Crimea, Kherson, Odesa and Mykolaiv regions have completed sowing early grains in optimal agronomic terms. Mykolaiv region sowed these crops on a larger area than planned. Currently the sowing campaign is being held in 17 regions.

Earlier, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy and Food forecast that areas under spring grains and leguminous crops in Ukraine in 2013 could reach 8.1 million hectares, which is almost 10% down on 2012.