OREANDA-NEWS. On 19 May 2009 was announced, that Belarus has sown 2.194 million hectares of spring crops, or 97.8% of the total area, spokesperson with the Agriculture Ministry Darya Kozlovskaya told.

Sowing of cereals, sugar beet and flax was completed in early May.

Spring rape has been sown on 22,000 hectares, out of 27,000 hectares, and corn on 584,000 hectares, out of 804,000 hectares, including 152,000 hectares of seed corn, 97.5% of the target.

So far, potato has been sown on 44,000 hectares, out of 53,000 hectares.

The availability of mineral fertilizers was estimated at 1.379 million tonnes, 12.1% above the target, including 442,000 tonnes of nitrogen fertilizers, 12.2% below the requirement, 153,000 tones of phosphate fertilizers, 2.2% above the requirement, and 781,000 tonnes of potash fertilizers, 36.1% above what the country needs.