Soviet Spring Crops Sown on Only 11 pct of Land

Soviet farmers had sown spring crops on only 15.8 mln hectares or 11 pct of cultivated land by April 27, compared with 26.2 mln ha by April 21, 1986, Izvestia said.

Grains and pulses (except maize) were sown on 6.7 mln ha, compared with 13.1 mln at the same time last year, it added.

Spring sowing is off to a slow start, with planting two to four weeks behind schedule in many areas of the Ukraine, Byelorussia and Russia, because the winter was unusually cold.

Western agricultural experts believe the crop could still be good but heavy winterkill will make it difficult to reach the 1987 grain target of 232 mln tonnes. The 1986 crop was 210 mln.