Final Figures on Farm Crops Harvest

Commentary

Total production of individual crops is based on sowing areas surveyed in May and the development of vegetative conditions. Sowing of the majority of winter vegetation was carried out under agro-technical deadlines. Germination of winter crops was fast and steady. Even late sown crops thanks to favourable weather conditions were healthy and strong. Winter crops hibernated very well thanks to sufficient snow cover. In spring time occurred several critical time periods for agricultural plants. High temperature shortly after winter was changed with the lack of precipitations and very low temperature during a short time period. In the end of April came even freeze and germinating plants as sugar beet, some fruit trees in orchards, rape, vegetables and some winter and spring cereals were badly damaged. Unfavourable weather in the course of harvest delayed harvest work, the harvest of basic cereals and rape was finished in September only. Climate conditions in autumn period prolonged vegetative period of late species of potatoes and favourably influenced potatoes harvest.

Production area of cereals (including grain maize and other cereals) enlarged by 2,2 thous. ha (+0,1%) to have reached 1 611,5 thous. ha. Total production of cereals was 7 659,9 thous. tonnes and matching the year 2004 decreased by 1 124,0 thous. tonnes (-12,8%). In comparison with the year 2004 only grain maize has higher production 702,9 thous. tonnes, which represents the growth by 151,3 thous. tonnes (+ 27,4%). Wheat production was at the level of 4 145,0 thous. tonnes, it means by 897,5 tonnes less (- 17,8 %) matching the year 2004. Barley production was down at the level of 2 195,4 thous. tonnes, it means by 135,2 thous. tonnes less (- 5,8 %) and also rye was down by 116,6 thous. tonnes (- 37,2 %) comparing previous year.

Yield of cereals per 1 ha was 4,75 tonnes, matching 2004 is down by 0,70 tonnes (-12,9 %). Winter wheat reached the yield of 5,15 tonnes (5,96 tonnes in 2004), spring wheat reached 3,70 tonnes (4,35 tonnes), rye 4,19 (5,29 tonnes), winter barley 4,40 (5,15 tonnes), spring barley 4,15 tonnes (4,91 tonnes), oats 2,92 tonnes (3,88 tonnes), grain maize 7,17 tonnes (6,13 tonnes in 2004) and triticale 3,94 tonnes (4,86 tonnes). Legumes production increased matching the year 2004. It was harvested 96,0 thous. tonnes of legumes in total. Field peas production was 78,8 thous. tonnes, matching the year 2004 by 6,8 thous. tonnes more. Total production of grain plants (cereals plus legumes) was 7 755,8 thous. tonnes, matching 2004 by 1 116,2 thous. tonnes (-12,6 %) down.

Total potatoes production including production of households gardens was 1 156,0 thous. tonnes, this is increase by 162,8 thous. tonnes (+ 16,4 %). Yield of potatoes was 28,05 tonnes and it is also up by 4,5 tonnes. Early potatoes reached 61,5 thous. tonnes. Average yield of “other potatoes” was 28,85 tonnes, it means by 4,5 tonnes more and also the production of 1 094,5 thous. tonnes is by 252,0 thous. tonnes higher than in the year 2004. Sugar beet was harvested in amount of 3 495,6 thous. tonnes (3 579,3 thous. tonnes in 2004), it means by 2,3 % down with the yield of 53,31 tonnes/ 1ha.

In 2005 sowing areas of oleaginous plants increased totally by 17,1 thous. ha (+ 4,5 %), the total acreage was 399,5 thous. ha. Reached production from that area was 958,7 thous. tonnes, it means down by 149,7 thous. tonnes than in 2004. Rape production was 769,4 thous. tonnes, in the year 2004 it was 934,7 thous. tonnes, it means by 165,3 thous. tonnes down. Rape seed yield was 2,88 tonnes/ 1 ha and it is also by 0,72 tonnes down. The production of poppy seed increase matching 2004, from the area of 44,6 thous. ha was harvested 36,4 thous. tonnes with average yield 0,82 tonnes/ 1 ha (24,8 thous. tonnes with the yield of 0,90 tonnes/ 1 ha in 2004).

The production of annual fodder crops on arable land was 7 776,3 thous. tonnes of green forage, it means by 260,3 thous. tonnes more than in 2004. Green maize and maize for silage were harvested in total amount of 6 870,4 thous. tonnes, it means the increase by 408,2 thous. tonnes matching 2004. Hay production from perennial fodder crops was down by 37,6 thous. tonnes, at the level of 1 492,1 thous.tonnes. Red clover production was 458,8 thous. tonnes.

Vegetables and fruit production including households gardens was down in comparison with the year 2004. 273,4 thous. tonnes of vegetables (322,3 thous. tonnes in 2004) and 298,4 thous. tonnes of fruit (427,7 thous. tonnes in 2004) were harvested in 2005. 62,6 thous. tonnes of grapes was harvested on 14,2 thous. ha of bearing vineyards with the yield of 4,39 tonnes (5,38 tonnes in the year 2004), it means by 7,1 thous. tonnes less than in 2004. Hop production at the level of 7 831 tonnes was up matching 2004 by 1 520 tonnes (+ 24,1 %). Hop yield of 1,38 tonnes/ 1 ha is also up by 0,30 tonnes matching the year 2004.