Winter wheat planting rates in Russia have fallen to an 11-year low, clouding the outlook for the 2025 harvest, Black Sea consultancy SovEcon said. It said slow planting in the South and Volga regions are 400,000 hectares behind last year, while the Central region is 200,000 hectares behind.
Over the last 30 days, less than 20% of the normal precipitation levels have fallen in the European part of Russia. The dry weather is a restraining factor for planting and poses a threat to the already sown fields. In the next two weeks, main weather models forecast continued dry conditions in the Volga and Central regions, with slightly wetter weather in the South.
SovEcon said, “Given the widespread moisture deficiency, it is highly likely that crops will enter winter in poor condition. The Volga region, where the vegetation period ends earliest and frosts begin first, is particularly at risk.”
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