Source: APKinform (Ukraine)
The losses of late harvests in Ukraine due to the drought could amount to 10-15%. This assessment was made by the acting Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Taras Vysotskyy, on August 7 on the United National Telethon program, reports Interfax-Ukraine.
“There are two main types of crops – early and late. If we talk about the harvest of wheat, barley, peas, rapeseed, rye, oats and millet, we are talking about the early group. It was affected by the abnormal heat, but not critically. The worst effects were in the south-eastern regions, but in general we have reached the preliminary forecasts (gross harvest – IF-U) for these crops, which were 2-3% lower,” he said.
The Acting Minister recalled that the group of crops with late ripening dates includes sunflowers, corn and sugar beet. They are mainly harvested in the fall.
“The abnormal temperatures will most likely have an even more negative impact here. Exact figures can only be given after the harvest, but today it looks as if the yield of these crops could fall by up to 10-15%. There are regions where there will be no losses because there has been sufficient rainfall to make it easier to survive the abnormal heat. But there are regions where the impact is critical,” he explained.
The acting minister added that the exact figures of crop losses due to the abnormal heat will only be known in September/October, when most of the crop will have been harvested.