OREANDA-NEWS. May 18, 2010. Belarus has almost completed sowing early spring crops, Agriculture Minister Vasily Pavlovsky told reporters.

“We are to sow 2.4 million hectares of spring crops, and so far we have sown 1.5 million hectares. We have almost completed sowing barley, oats, triticale, wheat, and some legumes,” he said.

Potatoes are to be sown by May 8, sugar beet, by May 6-7, and corn, by May 12-15.

According to the Ministry, by May 3, 1.693 million hectares of spring crops had been sown, including 1.057 million hectares of cereal crops.

Flax has been sown on 45,600 hectares, 65.1% of the areas under flax, sugar beet on 89,000 hectares, 94.6% of total areas, corn on 220,600 hectares, 27.5% of areas, potatoes on 29,400 hectares, 56% of all areas under potatoes, and vegetables on 7,700 hectares, 54.5% of the total area under vegetables.