Areas Under Farm Crops Census:

Commentary

Contents

A lack of precipitations bedly influenced comming up of winter crops. The temperature in September, October and the first half of November was a little bit higher than an average temperature for that season but there was a lack of precipitations in that period of time. Since a half of November the temperature was gradually decreasing while precipitations became stronger. The temperature fell down dramatically in the third decade of December with subsequent snow which permanently covered the whole country territory till end of winter season. The shape of winter crops in that time was good. The permanent daily freeze in January and in the beginning of February caused the soil was deeply frozen through. In the second half of February the temperature rose up and it resulted in flooding of upper soil layer. The high snow cover (lying in some zones till the beginning of April) together with late freeze damaged and exhausted winter plants. Long winter and spring floods delayed spring agricultural activities by 3 weeks. Winter crop areas ploughed under were mostly exchanged by spring crops or industrial plants. Spring months were colder with above-average precipitations.

The acreage of sowing areas of agricultural plants surveyed as of 31 May 2006 indicates 3 566 thous. ha, it means by 40 thous. ha (1,1%) less than in the year 2005. The acreage of arable land is 2 629 thous. ha, it means by 74 thous. ha (2,7%) less matching the previous year. The arable land shares in total agricultural area with 73,7%. Permanent grassland cover 889 thous. ha, it means by 37 thous. ha (4,3%) more than in 2004. Its share in total agricultural area is 24,9%. The acreage of arable land not sown and fallow is down by 1,5 thous. ha (3,4%) and it shares in the acreage of arable land with 1,7%.

Cereals are cultivated on 59,1% of sowing areas (58,1% of arable land), of which the most spread winter wheat occupies 30,2% of sowing area. The root crops cover 3,6%, oil plants 16,9% (of which rape 11,3%) and fodder crops on arable land cover 17,8% (of which perennial ones 8,2%) of total sowing areas.

Sowing areas with cereals cover 1 527 thous. ha, it is by 66 thous. ha (4,2%) less than in 2005. Legumes are cultivated on 39 thous. ha, it is roughly even acreage matching 2005. Root crops occupy 92 thous. ha, it is by 11 thous. ha down in comparison with 2005. An increase of sowing areas was reported by oil plants which acreage is 438 thous. ha, it means by 38 thous. ha more than in 2005. Thanks to oil plants industrial crops also indicate the growth of sowing areas by 35 thous. ha. Fodder plants on arable land occupy the acreage by 33 thous. ha down than in 2005.