Russian spring grain sowing has been completed on 15.4 million hectares, data from the Ministry of Agriculture showed Monday.
The figure is 49.6% of the total forecast planting area for spring cereals and is some 17.6% higher than at the same stage last year when 13.1 million hectares had been planted.
Spring wheat has been planted on 4.3 million hectares, 32.8% of the forecast area and 48.3% more than the 2.9 million hectares higher than at the same stage during the previous campaign.
Barley has been planted on 5.6 million hectares, 68.8% of the total forecast area and 5.7% above last year's equivalent figure of 5.6 million hectares.
Corn has been planted on 2.1 million hectares, some 69.2% of the total area to plant, and 16.7% above last year's equivalent level of 1.8 million hectares.
Given the size of Russia and its different regional climatic conditions, planting progress has been varied across the country. The ministry reported that the Southern Federal District has seen planting take place on 4.7 million hectares, 75.5% of the forecast area and 14.6% higher than at the same point last year.
Meanwhile, planting in the North Caucasus is at 1.4 million hectares, 78.6% of the forecast area and 7.7% higher than at the same point last year.
The Central Federal District has sowing at 6.9 million hectares, 70.4% of the forecast area and down 5.8% on the same stage as last year.
Planting in the Far Eastern Federal District stands at 373,100 hectares, 20.5% of the total forecast area for the year and 10.8% higher than at the same point last year.
The Volga region has seen 8.8 million hectares sown, 56.2% of the planned area and 27.5% higher than last year.
The North Western Federal District's sowing stands at 235,100 hectares, 48.7% of the forecast area and 37.4% higher than at the same point last year.
The Siberian Federal District planting stands at 2.5 million hectares, 19.8% of the total forecast area and 31.6% higher than at the same point last year.
Planting in the Ural region is at 962,200 hectares, 22.1% of the forecast area and over 250% higher than in 2015.
The ministry reported planting had also taken place on 271,400 hectares in Crimea, completing its spring sowing campaign on 9.5% more land than had been anticipated. The figure is notably higher than the 196,600 hectares that were planted during the 2015 spring sowing campaign.
Crimea was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in March 2014 and is not internationally recognized as part of Russia.
