"The Crops Are Drying Up": Grain Collapse In Southern Russia

The harvest is expected to be the smallest in five years.

A grain catastrophe is looming in Russia due to the severe drought in the south of the country. The Rostov region, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, which are key grain-growing regions of the Russian Federation, will harvest the lowest grain crop in the last five years this year, The Moscow Times writes, citing an expert forecast.

Farmers call the current drought a record for many years. Southern Russia in Emergency Mode In Krasnodar Krai, emergency mode is now in effect in 17 districts, including northern districts where winter wheat crops are concentrated.

According to authorities, only 45% of winter crops are in good condition. "The crops are drying out," complains local governor Veniamin Kondratyev.

Analogous situation is in Rostov Region, where a state of emergency has been introduced in 19 districts. The region provides up to 10% of the country's total grain harvest.

According to experts, yields in drought-stricken regions may halve, and in some cases triple or quadruple. Farmers are sounding the alarm, fearing that the money spent on the production of raw materials will not pay off.

Rostov region, the leader in grain harvesting, is at risk of having the lowest yield in 10 years. In 2024, due to weather anomalies, only 11.4 million tons were harvested here instead of the planned 16 million tons. This year, it is possible to reduce by another 20%.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation continues to pretend that the situation is under control, and even forecasts to harvest this year in the country by 5 million tons of grain more (135 million tons) than last year. However, the actual harvest as of July 2 is only 3.8 million tons - 4.3 times less than last year's figures.

The Agrarian Market Conjuncture Institute, for its part, currently predicts a harvest of 130 million tons of grain, but they warn that these figures are likely to be reduced.

Experts also point to the risks of deterioration in the quality of food wheat and barley.

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