Corn harvest continues in Ukraine, more than 2 mln tons may be harvested — FAS USDA

Ukraine may harvest more than 2 million tons of corn that are still in the fields this season. This forecast is based on actual yields in 16 regions where the harvest was ongoing as of mid-January, FAS USDA reports.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, as of January 15, 92% of the areas had been harvested, the harvest amounted to 28.9 million tons of grain. The remaining areas, according to analysts, will allow to increase the total harvest by more than 2 million tons.

The delays in harvesting were due to heavy rains, due to which machinery could not enter some fields. In addition, farmers gave priority to harvesting oilseed crops, postponing corn to later dates, FAS reported.

“According to industry data, some batches of corn had 32–35% moisture, which is significantly higher than the normal level of 20–22%. This caused export delays as producers had to run these batches through a dryer before sending them to ports. Some farmers reported leaving corn in the fields to reduce its initial moisture content as temperatures and humidity dropped sharply,” the report said.

Tags: Ukraine, corn, harvesting