Ukraine Winter Rapeseed Crop In Trouble Already
Only 75% of winter rapeseed sown in Ukraine has germinated due to lack of autumn rains, according to the Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy.
Conditions were so bad in some areas that growers didn't plant at all, some media reports say.
Ukrzernoprom, a large-scale commercial producer of rapeseed in Ukraine, said it had scaled back it's planting intentions for the 2010 harvest by 8.5%, mainly due to the dry conditions.
More and more reports filtering through, are also suggesting that cash-strapped Ukraine farmers plan to cut back on fertiliser and pesticide inputs in 2010 due to lack of finance.
These constraints may also influence their ability to replant failed winter crops in the spring.
Ukraine produced 1.9 MMT of rapeseed in 2009, down 24% on the 2.5 MMT of output in 2008. Almost everything they produce goes for export.
Conditions were so bad in some areas that growers didn't plant at all, some media reports say.
Ukrzernoprom, a large-scale commercial producer of rapeseed in Ukraine, said it had scaled back it's planting intentions for the 2010 harvest by 8.5%, mainly due to the dry conditions.
More and more reports filtering through, are also suggesting that cash-strapped Ukraine farmers plan to cut back on fertiliser and pesticide inputs in 2010 due to lack of finance.
These constraints may also influence their ability to replant failed winter crops in the spring.
Ukraine produced 1.9 MMT of rapeseed in 2009, down 24% on the 2.5 MMT of output in 2008. Almost everything they produce goes for export.