Ukraine Facing Worst Drought In A Century - Loss Potential At 60% Of Harvest - Reuters

[hatrack]

EDIT

With a snap parliamentary election due in September, drought and the prospect of further, hugely unpopular rises in bread prices are high on the political agenda -- and surely the last thing Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich wanted. Bread prices have gone up in a number of regions. The increases are by no means uniform but in general prices have risen by up to 10 percent with the biggest increases in central and western ukraine. Yanukovich, long at odds with pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko, has threatened to sack top farm officials if further rises occur. One of the prime minister's deputies blamed the liberal opposition, aligned with Yushchenko, for the increases.

Kherson region near the Black Sea, in the heart of Ukraine's grain belt, is one of 10 areas hit by drought -- 60 percent of grainfields have felt the effects. The government on Monday reduced its crop forecast to 30 million tonnes from 38 million. Walking through the stunted shoots in Nadich's field -- which rise to a man's calf rather than his waist -- produces no normal "swish" of passing through a thriving grain field.

Rather, an agonising crunching noise resounds. Dust clouds billow throughout the area around Urozhaine -- "bumper crop" in Ukrainian. "Whatever we manage to save will be used as feed to keep our cattle alive," Nadich said, a straw hat shielding her from searing sunlight. "We just don't know how we're going to live."

EDIT

Kherson routinely harvests a million tonnes of grain and sowed 500,000 hectares this year but forecasters say the region could lose at least 60 percent. Farmers say yields are about 0.15 tonnes per hectare compared with 3.5 in 2006.

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http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42672/story.htm

[cliss]

1. Bad news for Ukraine.

This is not the only country which is dealing with drought. Australia's crop is threatened. Italy's major rivers have almost run dry.

The Mediterranean is going through desertification. It's getting really bad.

[hatrack]

2. Bad news for the rest of Europe as well - w/o Ukranian grain, they'll pay more

Especially in light of the drought & desertification you mention in Med. countries like Spain, Italy & Greece.