Combine shortage and cold set back Ukraine grains

UkrAgroConsult lowered its forecast for Ukraine's grain output this year, citing patches of winterkill and late spring sowings, and warned that even those crops which make it to harvest risk "heavy loss" to a lack of combines.

The influential analysis group cut by 765,000 tonnes to 20.5m tonnes its forecast for this year's wheat harvest in the Black Sea agricultural powerhouse.

Hopes for barley output were lowered by 860,000 tonnes to 9.8m tonnes.

The downgrade reflected February frosts which struck some areas where crops were not protected by snow cover.

"Although such crops are comparatively few, they may result in considerable grain harvest shortages in some farms," UkrAgroConsult said.

'Heavy loss of crop'

Furthermore, low temperatures had delayed the start of spring plantings, extending sowings into April when unfavourably dry conditions "become highly probable".

"This may slash grain yields by several hundred kilograms per hectare compared to planting in the first half of March," the Kiev-based group said.

And even the ability even to bring in their reduced yields has been hampered by a shortage of combines among farmers financially stretched after weak harvest last year, and by higher fuel and input costs this season.

"An insufficient number of harvesting machines will entail heavy loss of grown crop while harvesting," UkrAgroConsult said, estimating combines at one per 300-400 hectares, compared with a "normal" rate of one per 120 hectares.

Squeezed growers

The comments follow a string of cautions over farm finances in Black Sea states following drought-struck harvests last season, which limited output.
Export curbs have prevented growers exploiting in full high international prices for the grain they did get in.

The caution over spring sowings also follows Russian data showing that growers had planted 346,700 hectares with spring cereals as of Monday, less than one-half the 763,300 hectares they had planted a year before.