Ukraine has completed the spring sowing campaign of 2019 on the area of 27.7 million ha, which is the same as in 2018, the press service of the Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry has reported.

According to the press service, the area with grain amounted to 14.8 million hectares, with industrial crops – 9.2 million hectares. The structure of sown areas in recent years has not changed significantly.

"Considering the progress of spring field work and wintering of winter crops, one can expect that the harvest of early grains in 2019 will not be lower than last year's," Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy Volodymyr Topchiy said.

According to the ministry's website, as of June 3, the area with corn was 4.7 million hectares (99.8% of the forecast), sunflower – 5.6 million hectares (98%), ardent wheat – 158,000 hectares (96% to the forecast), barley – 1.5 million hectares (96%), soybeans - 1.48 million hectares (82%). The areas with buckwheat were significantly lower – 44,600 hectares, or 46% of the forecast. The areas with sugar beet amounted to 221,000 hectares (90% of the forecast).

As reported with reference to the ministry, Ukraine increased the area with winter crops in 2018 by 160,000 hectares, to 8.2 million hectares.

The gross grain harvest to Ukraine in 2018 amounted to about 70.1 million tonnes compared to 62 million tonnes in 2017.