A combination of warm weather and limited rainfall in the Balkan region and western Ukraine has caused crop stress to peak for the third time this season, according to a World Grain report.
Rainfall had been below normal in Russia’s southern region and in parts of eastern Ukraine and western Kazakhstan since earlier in the year, the 28 August report said.
Although a short-term period of improved weather helped during planting season, a third bout of high pressure had led to warmer temperatures and reduced crop heat toleration, World Grain wrote.
The heat had been more detrimental to crop development due to already weakened crop conditions and poor soil moisture, the report said.
At the time of the report, some areas in Russia’s central region and the Balkan countries of southeastern Europe had been affected.
If the dry conditions continued, production of unirrigated corn, soyabeans, sorghum, sunflowerseed, sugar beets and potatoes would be impacted, the report said.
The most serious production cuts would come in the eastern half of Ukraine and Russia’s southern region, which had also been affected by the ongoing conflict between the two countries, World Grain wrote.
