Prolonged rainfalls bring down grain yield and quality in Odesa region

Winter crops harvesting in Ukraine's Odesa region is delayed for rainy weather. Harvesting has started in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky, Bolhradsky and Izmail districts. This week new crop campaign will start in Odesa and Berezivka districts, Odesa Region State Administration (RSA) reports.

Farms have started harvesting winter barley. Of the area of 265 thou. ha, only 50.28 thou. ha was threshed and 212.95 thou. t of winter barley was cut as of July 5. The average yield in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky has reached 5.52 t/ha, in Bolhradsky 3.79 t/ha, in Izmail 3.64 t/ha, in Odesa 4.01 t/ha and in Berezivka 4.2 t/ha.

Due to prolonged and heavy rains, only 50,000 ha has been harvested, while the remaining 200,000 ha of winter barley, if the rainy weather continues through the coming week, are at risk of lodging, according to experts. In addition, yields are decreasing day by day. For example, on the farms of Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky district, the average barley yield was 6-6.5 t/ha in the first days of harvesting, and 3.2-3.7 t/ha as of July 5.

Under the data of the Department of the Agrarian Policy, Food and Land Relations of the RSA, three districts – Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky, Bolhradsky, Izmail – have started harvesting winter wheat: as of July 5, of the total area of 570 thou. ha, 1,927 ha was threshed and the crop yielded 6.04 thou. t. The average yield was 3.32 t/ha in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky district, 3.19 t/ha in Bolhradsky, and 3.05 t/ha in Izmail.

As a result of excessive precipitation, not only the yield indicators but also grain quality deteriorates. The starch and gluten content of wheat is decreasing. The density of wheat grain is also lower.

Previously reported that the first shipments of winter barley received at G.R. Agro's grain elevators were of lower quality.