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.
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