Drought threatens Ukraine’s grain harvest: yields could drop by up to 7%
Source: Suspilne
In an urgent update, Taras Vysotskyi, Ukraine’s argicultural interim minister, warned the July drought could cripple the yields of winter wheat and barley.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian farmers are pressing on with the harvest – they have harvested over 4 million tons of grain. According to Vysotskyi’s projections, the drought could see wheat and barley yields 5-7% lost compared to last year.
The most challenging situation is now in Kherson where people deals with both drought and Russian invasion. The irrigation issue remains the most ‘critical’.
The harvest for Ukraine’s grain and oilseed crops is projected to decrease to 74 million tons, down 10% from the 82 million tons harvested in 2023 with weather conditions factoring in.
While 2023 initial forecasts predicted a harvest of 63.5 million tons, the results eventually exceeded expectations by nearly 30%, – it showed how impactful weather can be for crops.
In 2024, the sweltering heat can hurt wheat, barley, and corn, with projected drops of 13.5%, 14%, and 12.5%, respectively. On a brighter note, soybean production is projected to increase by 10.6% as the planting area for them is expanding this year while the acreage for sunflower and rapeseed will remain unchanged.
BEVZA unveils a new Christmas decoration full of meaning – a tribute to generational memory expressed through five spikes of wheat, a timeless symbol of the Ukrainian nation’s resilience.
On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.
Rinat Akhmetov’s Metinvest Group has completed the construction of an upgraded underground NATO Role 2 hospital in one of the hottest sectors of the frontline. This is the second stabilization point established under the Steel Front initiative in cooperation with the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new facility, funded by Metinvest with an investment of UAH 21 million, is more secure than the first one thanks to its deeper location underground (over 6 meters) and additional fortifications.
Five armored vehicles “Kozak” have received a new mission – thanks to the support of Metinvest, they have been upgraded to full-fledged command and staff vehicles. These upgraded vehicles are now operating on the front line.
A kamikaze drone flies directly toward an armored personnel carrier. But instead of penetrating the hull, it explodes on a steel screen. The crew survives. This is the new reality for Ukrainian forces, who have received enhanced protection thanks to the Metinvest project within “Steel Front of Rinat Akhmetov”.