Ukraine's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday that farmers had sown around 5.34 million hectares of winter crops as of Oct. 30.

The area included 3.73 million hectares of winter wheat, or 85.7% of the expected area, the ministry said in a statement.

Ukraine is a traditional grower of winter wheat, which accounts for at least 95% of its overall wheat output.

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

The ministry has still expected a sowing area of 4.36 million hectares.

The ministry said farmers had sown 402,600 hectares of winter barley and 1.14 million hectares of winter rapeseed.

Producers plan to sow 692,100 hectares of winter barley and 1.2 million hectares of winter rapeseed this year.

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 of about 50 million tons, the ministry has said. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Jason Neely)