Rain across almost the entire territory of Ukraine has significantly improved conditions for the development of winter crops, which previously suffered from widespread drought, the APK-Inform consultancy said on Wednesday.

Drought has become common in Ukraine and farmers sow even in dry soil in the hope that winter precipitation and mild weather will allow the grain to germinate and survive.

"During the second 10-day period of October, weather conditions changed significantly - the period of rainless weather and drought in most areas stopped," APK-Inform quoted state weather forecasters as saying.

"Moisture reserves were considerably replenished, and together with increased temperatures, favourable conditions for sprouting and vegetation of winter crops were formed."

Ukraine's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday that farmers had sown about 5 million hectares of winter crops as of Oct. 24.

The area included 3.46 million hectares of winter wheat, or 79.4% of the expected area, the ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine, among global major grain producers and exporters, is a traditional grower of winter wheat, which accounts for at least 95% of its overall wheat output.

Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said this month that Ukraine was likely to sow less winter wheat than it initially expected for the 2024 harvest due to the absence of rain in most regions.

Farmers sowed 4.46 million hectares of winter wheat, 612,200 hectares of winter barley and 1.376 million hectares of winter rapeseed for the 2023 harvest.

Ukraine is expected to harvest 79 million tons of grain and oilseed in 2023, with a 2023/24 exportable surplus total of about 50 million tons, the ministry has said. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Robert Birsel)