OREANDA-NEWS. September 2, 2009. Belarusian farming companies have begun the autumn grain sowing, Grigory Romanyuk, Head of the Crop Growing, Fodder Production and Seed Production Office of the Belarusian Agriculture and Food Ministry said.

In the morning of 2 September the area under winter grain crops totalled 118,700 hectares, 8.4% of the planned figure. The figure stood at 91,000 hectares (6.4% of the targeted area) on 2 September 2009. This year the area under winter grain crops is supposed to make 1,410,700 hectares. The structure of the winter crops will be roughly the same in comparison with the previous year.

Grigory Romanyuk said, the autumn sowing campaign began at an optimal agrotechnical time. Farming companies have the necessary amount of seeds, fuel, modern soil cultivators and seeders. Most farming companies are supposed to finish the sowing of winter wheat by 15 September, the sowing of winter rye and triticale — by 20 September. The sowing speed will depend on soil preparation and application of mineral fertilizers. At present 639,000 hectares of land or 45.3% of the planned amount has been prepared for autumn sowing.