KIEV, Dec. 10 - The United States Department of Agriculture has upgraded its grain harvest forecast for Ukraine in 2009 by 500,000 tons compared to its November forecast, to 44.95 million tons.

According to the USDA, in particular, the harvest of fodder grain is projected at 24.45 million tons, against 26.22 million tons in 2008. The forecast from the maize harvest stands at 10.5 million tons, against last year's 11.4 million tons.