As of April 2 in Belarus, significant progress has been made in the sowing of early grain and leguminous crops, with 44 percent of the planned area already sown, a substantial increase from the 14 percent recorded a year ago. The Brest region is leading the effort with 78 percent of its area sown, closely followed by the Grodno and Minsk regions. In addition to these crops, there has been progress in sowing annual grasses (16 percent), flax (9 percent), and sugar beets (2 percent). Agricultural preparations also include the readying of 21 percent of areas for spring sowing, feeding of 97 percent of winter grains, and care for a significant portion of cruciferous grain crops and perennial grasses.