Ural farmers have sown 341,700 hectares of land so far, which comes to 8.1% of the planned area. In addition, 262,600 hectares were sown with spring crops and leguminous plants, 987,300 hectares were sown with corn; this is 309,000 hectares better than a year earlier. This year, the sowing season started a little earlier in most Russian regions compared to 2006.

According to the Federal Statistics Service, the country’s farmers sowed 7.6 million hectares as of May 1, 2007, including 4.7 million hectares of crops. 20% more spring crops (96% of which were sown in the Central, Volga, and South Regions), 73% more sugar beet, and 18% more sunflowers were planted in the spring. As regards Sverdlovsk Region, unfavorable weather conditions have already caused great delays in the sowing campaign; six regional municipalities still haven’t been able to set to work.