A large proportion of Ukraine’s spring grains will probably be seeded later than normal because cold weather may continue longer than usual this year, agricultural researcher UkrAgroConsult said.

The delay may mean that the grain harvest will decline this year, the Kiev-based researcher said in an e-mailed statement today without elaborating.

Ukrainian farmers plant all of the spring corn and sunflower, most of the barley and some of the wheat from the second half of March into May. Between 3 million hectares and 3.5 million hectares (7.4 acres and 8.6 acres) of winter grains will need to be reseeded after plants were weakened by the worst drought in at least 50 years between September and December of 2011.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kateryna Choursina in Kiev at kchoursina@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Carpenter at ccarpenter2@bloomberg.net