(Reuters) – Ukrainian weather forecasters expect a significant improvement soon in weather conditions for the development of recently sown spring crops, the APK-Inform agriculture consultancy said on Friday.
Ukraine is a major global grain grower and exporter but analysts have said a lack of moisture could affect the grain yield this year.
“Low air temperatures are not predicted during forthcoming period and the temperature regime will be favourable for the full development of spring grains and oilseeds,” APK-Inform quoted Ukrainian state weather forecasters as saying.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said on Friday almost all regions had started the 2022 grain sowing and the sowing area could be 20% less than in 2021. He gave no exact forecast.
APK-Inform this month forecast that Ukraine’s 2022 grain harvest could fall 54.6% to 38.9 million tonnes due to a decrease in sowing area caused by Russia’s invasion.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk)