Ukraine corn harvest pace 30% behind y-o-y, average yields 17% lower

Ukraine's corn harvest progressed to 39% complete through the week, while harvesting of the soybean and sunflower seeds got closer to the finish, according to government data released Thursday.

Ukraine's corn harvesting progress increased by 12 percentage points in the week to November 10 and amounted to 9.5 million mt gathered from 1.6 million ha or 39% of the total projected area, making the pace 30% slower year-on-year.

As a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and temporary occupation of some territories which usually showed high yields, the average level for 2022/23 MY now stands at 5.83 mt/ha, which is 17% down compared to the previous season.

As a result, 66% less corn has been threshed and is in the bins compared to the same date last year (9.5 million mt against 28 million mt).

Corn harvesting is 80% complete in the Mykolaiv and Chernivtsi regions.

Sunflower seeds were threshed from 4.3 million ha, or 93% of the sown area, with weekly progress of 6 percentage points, equating to 9.53 million mt.

The average yield in the country stands at 2.2 mt/ha, however this remains below last year’s level of 2.4 mt/ha.

The soybean harvest was complete on 1.4 million ha, or 91% of the total sowed area, and accounts for 3.1 million mt, with the average yield remaining at 2.4 mt/ha or 9% lower year-on-year.