Ukraine to reduce grain planting areas by 22 pct next year: forecast

KIEV, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will reduce the grain planting areas by 22 percent next year to 8.7 million hectares, the UBN media outlet reported Monday, citing a recent forecast by an industry body.

At the same time, the planting areas for oil crops will increase by 32 percent to 9.7 million hectares in 2023, said the forecast by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club.

According to the club, the decrease in the grain planting areas will result in the reduction of Ukraine's gross grain output to 34 million tons next year, 37 percent less than in 2022.

Ukraine's grain and oilseeds exports are expected to stand at 35 million tons in 2023, the forecast said.

In 2021, Ukraine harvested a record yield of grain, legumes and oilseeds, totaling more than 106 million tons.

In the 2021-2022 marketing year, between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, the Eastern European country exported 85 million tons of cereals and oilseeds.