Results of the spring crop planting campaign in Russia - extreme weather conditions

Source

APK-Inform

2448

Right for the moment Russian agrarians have already stopped planting spring crops. According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, as of June 15 agrarians provided spring crops planting throughout the areas of 30.8 mln ha nationwide, or 99.3% of the forecast (as opposed to 30.8 mln ha in 2016). During continuous monitoring, experts of APK-Inform Agency found out that spring weather conditions were often adverse, and not characteristic to the monitored period. Thus, plentiful rainfalls were fixed on the most part of the territory, and led to considerable lag of crop planting terms. Hereinafter, we will talk about the current condition of spring crops, and how Russian agrarians coped with various weather cataclysms during the spring crops planting campaign.

 

Crop planting and sprouts condition

The planting campaign of spring crops in the current season passed throughout rather difficult agro-climatic conditions. In many oblasts, the planting works started much later after the planned terms owing to snow cover in the fields and low air temperatures. At the same time, due to the weather factor quite often agrarians of even one and the same oblast were forced to begin spring field works in completely different time periods.

 

Spring crops planting campaign in Russia as of June 15, 2017

Region

Forecast of the spring grains planted areas in 2017, `000 ha

Spring grains planted areas, `000 ha

2017

% of the forecast

2016

2017 +/- to 2016

Russian Federation

31009,1

30777,1

99,3

30770,5

6,6

Central Federal District

4593,5

4483,2

97,6

4391,2

92

Northwestern Federal District

264,0

248,8

94,2

285,4

-36,6

Southern Federal District

2703,9

2733,9

101,1

2789,1

-55,2

North Caucasian Federal District

844,7

881,1

104,3

863,8

17,3

Volga Federal District

9099,1

8971,4

98,6

9055,7

-84,3

Ural Federal District

3500,2

3494,8

99,85

3498,8

-4

Siberian Federal District

9645,6

9655,5

100,10

9564,7

90,8

Source: Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation

 

Agrarians of the Southern region started spring crops planting in the second ten-day period of March 2017. Along with it, some agrarians were to hold over start of the planting campaign to the third ten-day period of March – the first ten-day period of April due to low daytime temperatures. As for planting of late spring crops, such as sunflower seed, soybeans and corn, a lot of agricultural producers got to work in the second or third ten-day period of April. Due to long rainfalls and unfavorable temperature conditions, field works were repeatedly stopped, and sprouts of early grains emerged with delays. Some agrarians of Rostov and Stavropol oblasts informed that heavy rains during planting works not only imposed essential amendments to the plans, but also did harm to emerged sprouts of spring crops.

At the same time, according to agricultural producers, sprouts of early spring crops appeared throughout 90-99% of the areas. As for the beginning of July, 60-70% of crops were in good condition, nearly 30% in satisfactory, and up to 5% - died.

Also, early spring crops planting in the Central Black Earth region was carried out unevenly and often with lags. Thus, some market operators of Belgorod and Voronezh oblasts reported about start of the crops planting works just in the second ten-day period of March. At the same time, agrarians of other oblasts informed that they began the planting campaign in the first-second ten-day periods of April. The planting campaign of late crops respectively was displaced, and began in the third ten-day period of March – the second ten-day period of April.

It should be noted that weather conditions during the planting campaign in the reporting regions were also unpredictable. The start of field works in some oblasts emerged with rains and sleet, while by the middle of April many agrarians reported about insufficient field moisture provision.

As for spring crops sprouts, they have emerged throughout practically 90-100% of the areas. Right at the moment, spring crops are on the different growth phases depending on its planting terms, and their condition is estimated for 40-60% as good, and for 60-40% as satisfactory. Some agrarians of Oryol and Tambov oblasts reported that crucial rains are necessitated in the nearest two weeks, otherwise there is a probability that the lack of soil moisture will exert negative impact on crops development.

Also, market operators of the Central region marked that during the planting campaign weather was extremely changeable. Early and late spring crops planting started in the majority of oblasts of the region in the first ten-day period of April – first ten-day period of May. Some agrarians informed that the beginning of the planting campaign emerged with rains, locally - with the sleet. Such weather conditions not only detained the campaign, but also negatively affected further sprouts and spring crops development. Due to low air temperatures, sprouts appeared with delay.

At the same time, lack of precipitations in other raions resulted in opposite situation. Just in the beginning of the planting campaign, agrarians claimed about soil moisture level optimal only for a month, and rains are necessary further. Otherwise, agricultural producers were afraid that the lack of required water reserves in the soil will negatively affect the crops prospects, despite good emerging sprouts of spring crops.

Thus, in the beginning of July agrarians reported that spring crops sprouts were received throughout 80-100% of the areas, and mainly were in satisfactory condition, and the death of crops were marked for 5-10% of the areas. Most agrarians found it difficult to announce any forecasts concerning quality and volume prospects of 2017 grain harvest.

Planting aspects of winter and spring crops for agrarians of the Volga region were similar. Most market operators reported about insufficient soil moisture provision in the beginning of the planting campaign.

The droughty autumn and low-snow winter didn't promote accumulation of enough moisture level. However, despite it, spring crops planting was to be carried out. Thus, most market operators started to plant early and late crops in the second ten-day period of April – the second ten-day period of May. At the same time, rainfall in the first half of April also prevented from field works.

Thus, on the one hand, during the specified period rainfalls were especially needful for the plants development and, from another – they promoted lagging of crops planting terms.

The weather conditions during the crops planting process has changed. Thus, due to fast warming the moisture provision promptly evaporated. As a result, many agricultural producers now report about the droughty weather conditions which were established in a number of oblasts that respectively reflected in the worse condition of spring crops.

Let us note that according to many agrarians, spring sprouts appeared throughout 80-100% of the planted areas. At the same time, the condition of plants was estimated differently depending on oblast. But most market operators reported that 50% of sprouts were in good condition, 30% – satisfactory, and nearly 20% – bad.

The spring crops planting campaign in the Ural and Western Siberian regions right now is closing it’s final stage. According to agrarians, they started the planting campaign in the Ural in the first-second ten-day periods of April and in most cases agro-climatic conditions were optimal. At the same time, agrarians of Orenburg, Kurgan and Sverdlovsk oblasts quite often noted the lack of soil moisture that can exert further negative impact both on sprouts emerging and on their development.

According to most market operators, spring crops planting in Western Siberian region began in the second-third ten-day periods of May. Weather conditions in most cases were favorable. At the same time, some agrarians informed about the necessity of increasing soil moisture for getting good spring crops sprouts.

Summing up, we may say, that spring crops planting campaign in Russia developed in quite difficult agro-climatic conditions. Essential fluctuations of day and night time temperatures, plentiful local rainfalls and, on the opposite, the deficiency of moisture observed in some oblasts can exert adverse impact both on yield, and on qualitative characteristics of future harvest. However, it’s still too early to draw final conclusions.

 

Interviewed by Alexandrina Ovdienko, Anna Kochuhova, APK-Inform Agency

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