KIEV, March 1 – Ukraine will sow spring crops on some 15.6 million hectares in 2010, the same as in 2009, to the calculations of the Agriculture Ministry.

"We expect that spring crops will be sown on at least the same amount as last year, and this is 15.6 million hectares," Deputy Agriculture Minister Serhiy Melnyk told the press in Kiev.

He said that Crimean and Kherson region farmers have started the sowing campaign. He said that this year the sowing campaign started two weeks later than traditionally due to bad weather.