OREANDA-NEWS. June 18, 2008. The State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan has reported that this year the country is being observed 20.2% growth of crop areas designed for cereals and leguminous plants by 142,200 ha.

The Committee said that by June 1 cereals and leguminous sown areas made 847,400 ha.

“At the same time total sown areas of spring crops in the country by June 1, 2008 made 377,100 ha reducing by 6.1%,” it was informed.

The main reason of reducing sown areas was expansion of winter crop areas last autumn to gather in the harvest this year.

“This year crop areas of sunflower grew by 1.7% comparing to Jan-May 2007 and made 8,469,000 ha. For the last five months crop areas of maize reduced by 0.7%, tobacco by 17.2%, cotton by 33.6%, melons and gourds by 4.4%, potatoes - grew by 2.1%, sugar-beet by 6.2% comparing to Jan-May 2007,” it was reported.

Crop areas for vegetables reduced by 4.1% and reached 79,359,000 ha.