Nearly 25% Of Ukraine's Winter Grain Crop In Poor Or Very Poor Condition

[hatrack]

Nearly one-quarter of Ukraine's winter grain crop is in poor condition, following a dry period that US officials have termed "alarmingly unfavourable". About 85% of grain sown for harvest next year has sprouted, official regional data showed. Of this, 24.2% was rated as being in poor condition.

The data confirms the difficult start for winter crops, following a dearth of rain particularly in southern and eastern Ukraine, which meant farmers sowing in many cases into dry ground.

"September conditions were unusually poor and certainly had a negative effect on winter-grain prospects," a US Department of Agriculture report said 10 days ago.

However, the data appear to imply the crop is in better shape than suggested by many forecasters, some of which have said 2010 wheat production could halve.

EDIT

http://www.agrimoney.com/news/nearly-25percent-of-ukraine-grain-in-poor-health--929.html

[pscot]

1. Are we beginning to see some sort of pattern here?

Nah! Probably just my imagination.