Ukrainian farmers have threshed more than half of the projected wheat areas, with the average yield hitting an all-time high, prompting analysts to revise up their output forecasts.
Ukraine's wheat harvested area increased by around 881,600 hectares (ha) in the week ending 3 August to 2.7mn ha, agriculture ministry data show. This is about 60pc of the projected 2023-24 areas at about 4.5mn ha, down from 5.44mn ha a year earlier (see chart).
Farmers threshed about 12.51mn t of wheat as of Thursday, above the 12.27mn t harvested from 3.19mn ha at the same point a year ago. The average yield of 4.64 t/ha was a record high and well above last year's 3.85 t/ha (see chart).
Local analysts this week revised up estimates for Ukraine's 2023-24 wheat production, with the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) increasing its forecast to 20.2mn t, from 17.9mn t projected previously.
Ukrainian farmers also threshed 3.75mn t of barley from about 939,500ha as of 3 August, compared with the 4.25mn t harvested from 1.28mn ha a year earlier (see chart). The harvesting was about 66pc complete, with the average yield rising to 4 t/ha from 3.94 t/ha a week ago. This is also significantly higher than 3.4 t/ha on the same date last year (see chart).
UGA also raised its forecast for Ukrainian barley production for 2023-24 to 5.2mn t, from 4.4mn t, following higher yields.
Total grains and pulses areas threshed in Ukraine as of 3 August reached around 3.78mn ha, or about 35pc of the 2023-24 projected area at 10.66mn ha, down from 12.17mn t a year ago.
As for rapeseed, harvested areas rose to 1.18mn ha, or about 86pc of the 2023-24 projected areas at 1.38mn ha (see chart). Ukrainian farmers had threshed 3.32mn t of rapeseed by Thursday, compared with 2.44mn t from 906,400ha at the same time a year ago. The current average yield stood at 2.81 t/ha, up from 2.7 t/ha a year ago (see chart).





