Serious crop risks exist for parts of Romania and Bulgaria, as well as Ukraine and Russia – MARS

Grain fields in Europe are generally in good condition after a dry, mild period helped them recover from a dry start to the fall, although grain belts around the Black Sea lack winter tolerance, the EU’s crop monitoring service said Monday.

Reiterating comments from its November report, the MARS service said in its December update that drier weather had allowed farmers to complete sowing in western Europe despite delays.

Meanwhile, in Central and Northern Europe, moderate cold weather had no negative impact and soil moisture reserves remained well above critical levels.

However, more serious risks exist along a stretch of the Black Sea coast covering parts of the European Union member states Romania and Bulgaria, as well as the territories of Ukraine and Russia.

“Sowing and initial development of winter wheat has been severely hampered by very dry topsoil, with the result that crops are currently underdeveloped and in poor condition,” MARS said.

Traders have faced reports of a very poor harvest in Russia, the world’s biggest wheat exporter, adding to uncertainty over supplies in the country as the government seeks to restrict exports.

According to MARS, crops elsewhere in Europe have also proved insufficiently resilient to winter, particularly in Poland and the Baltic states, although forecasts did not predict severe cold weather in the coming days, while longer-term projections suggested higher than normal temperatures in Europe as a whole this winter.

In Sicily, an important durum wheat growing region, lack of soil moisture remains a concern, despite rains in recent weeks that have allowed planting to continue.

According to MARS, there is an “immediate need” for rains in Mediterranean countries to help crops, especially in Morocco and western Algeria.

Tags: EU, crop condition, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania