Ukraine. Cool May weather favored winter crops but hindered heat-loving crops

The Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center reported that May 2025 weather conditions were favorable for winter and early spring grain crops but negatively impacted heat-loving technical and vegetable crops.

May 2025 in Ukraine was cool and rainy, with intense frosts occurring during the first 1–10 days. The average monthly air temperature was 1–3 degrees below normal.

This was the first month of the year when most regions experienced heavy, and in some areas record-breaking, rainfall. Only certain areas in the south, north, and east were spared from intense rains.

As a result, crop growth and development occurred under conditions of optimal soil moisture in most areas but with a heat deficit.

Despite the occasionally cold weather for May, winter wheat in southern regions reached the milky grain stage 1–1.5 weeks earlier than usual. Spring barley began heading one to two weeks ahead of average timelines.

However, low air temperatures led to slow growth of corn and sunflowers, with yellowing of plants observed in some corn fields.

Uncharacteristically high soil moisture for late May in many western regions of Ukraine contributed to the spread of fungal diseases in crops and rapid weed growth. During heavy rains, some areas experienced waterlogging of heat-loving crop seedlings, soil erosion, nutrient leaching from the topsoil, and conditions conducive to plant drowning.

However, in certain southern, central, and eastern regions with less rainfall, soil drought persisted, according to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center.

The All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council also highlighted severe drought in southern Ukraine. Preliminary estimates suggest that farmers in the Kherson region may face losses exceeding one billion hryvnias due to drought.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy expects a reduced harvest due to an abnormally dry winter and delayed planting. If the worst-case scenarios materialize, the harvest could decrease by 10%, totaling around 51 million tons compared to 56.7 million tons in 2024.

Tags: Ukraine, crop condition