Ukrainian farmers have threshed the first million tonnes of grain of the 2022 grain harvest from about 3% of the sowing area, reported Reuters, citing the Ukrainian agriculture ministry on Friday.

The ministry said farmers had harvested 1.1 million tonnes of grain from 417,300 hectares with the average yield of 2.63 tonnes per hectare.

Ministry data showed the volume included 355,800 tonnes of wheat with an average yield of 2.41 tonnes per hectares, 717,800 tonnes of barley with a yield of 2.82 tonnes per hectare and 24,600 tonnes of peas with a yield of 1.62 tonnes.

It said farmers also harvested 67,300 tonnes of rapeseed from 43,500 hectares or 4% of the sown area.

Ukraine, a major global grain grower and exporter, harvested a record 86 million tonnes of grain in 2021. That included 42.1 million tonnes of corn and 32.2 million tonnes of wheat.

The government said this year's harvest could fall to about 50 million tonnes of grain and oilseeds.

Farmers have reduced the sowing area by about 25% because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and hostilities in some regions.

As a result, grain production could fall to between 48 million and 50 million tonnes, with exports seen at 30 million tonnes in the 2022/23 season which runs from July to June.

The fall in production and exports has stoked fears of a global food crisis, with the war and Western sanctions against Russia having driven up prices of grain, cooking oil, fertiliser and energy.