In eastern Ukraine, winter crops are in the worst condition

Despite the prolonged summer-autumn drought in Ukraine, the condition of winter crops in early December turned out to be better than expected, ASAP Agri reports.

 

According to agrometeorologists, currently 77% of winter crop crops in Ukraine are in good condition, and another 20% are in satisfactory condition. The worst condition of crops is in the eastern regions, which have suffered the most from the drought.

 

Thus, in Kharkiv region, 19% of crops are in unsatisfactory condition, 25% in satisfactory condition, and 56% in good condition. In Poltava region, 75% of crops are in satisfactory condition, 25% in good condition. In Dnipropetrovsk region, 62% of crops are in good condition, 34% in satisfactory condition. Farmers in Dnipropetrovsk region assess the condition of their rapeseed and wheat crops on average by 3 points on a 5-point scale.

 

High temperatures and limited rainfall have hindered soil moisture accumulation. Recent rains have provided crops with the necessary moisture, but farmers say soil moisture reserves remain lower than the average for several years.

 

"Extremely dry and hot weather in September, which is a critical period for sowing winter crops, significantly delayed sowing work and complicated early plant development. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, germination is very uneven, while in the western regions, timely rains improved crop development," ASAP Agri notes.

 

In general, most crops in Ukraine were sown later than usual, which slowed down the development of crops.

 

Currently, Ukrainian winter crops are demonstrating “impressive resilience in severe drought conditions,” so continued monitoring and effective crop management will be crucial to ensuring high yields in 2025.