To put that into context the UK has about forty wheat
varieties on its current recommended list.
According to the Director of the Plant Production Institute of
Ukraine, the number of wheat varieties approved for cultivation has increased 10
times compared with 1990 which is said like it's a good thing.
The Director goes on to say that the average yield of wheat grew
from 3.3mt/ha to 8.4mt/ha which I presume he means the potential under trial
conditions because he does acknowledge that commercial grain productivity is
realized not by more than half which is bit of an understatement.
Despite the best efforts of Ukraine’s seed breeding institute’s
wheat yields are, in real terms, no better than when Rick Astley was all over the radio singing Never
Gonna Give You Up.