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Drought and High Temperatures Continue in Eastern Europe
Drought and high temperatures have plagued basically all of eastern Europe since mid-April/early May. Romania appears to have suffered most, followed by the regions comprising the former Yugoslavia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Further north in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia crops have also withered from high temperatures and drought. Here, however they have recently benefited from occasional rainfall during the last couple weeks. This moisture has not been enough to prevent widespread losses, but should help to recover yields somewhat. Rains across eastern Europe have largely remained in the north and passed over the Balkans. It is in this southern region where soil moisture levels are nearly depleted, crop prospects are the lowest, and harvest has been pushed ahead two weeks because of the effects from the hot, dry weather. Barley in the south is reportedly being harvested and wheat harvesting should be under way by the last week or two of June.
Romania’s fall planted crops have deteriorated significantly during May from severe drought and high temperatures and the drought and heatwave has continued into June. Romania, eastern Europe’s second largest grain producer (after Poland) has a five year average wheat crop of 5.6 million tons, 10.2 million for corn, and an average sunflowerseed crop of 1.0 million. Official USDA Romanian wheat production for 2000/01 as estimated on 9 June is 4.5 million tons. Corn, Romania’s primary export grain, along with sunflower, its primary oil bearing crop, are also suffering from drought and heat stress. As the country’s major summer field crops develop further, July and August weather will of course be critical in determining production levels.
Relative to Romania, Bulgarian wheat is in better condition as harvest approaches (about June 20th or about 10 days earlier than normal). Bulgaria received beneficial weather during September/October 1999 that established good wheat and barley stands. Recent news reports suggest that the majority of cropland has had fertilizer and pesticides applied and infrequent rains also aided the crop during May. The USDA agriculture specialists in Sofia, however, are concerned with the primary summer crops in Bulgaria (corn and sunflower) if the expected hot and dry weather continues through July and August.
Hungary has not escaped the dry, hot weather either. The Hungarian plain has recorded temperatures of above 30C (86F) for two weeks and soils are quickly losing any last moisture reserves. Additionally, the primary growing regions of Croatia and Serbia in the former Yugoslavia are seeing similar problems with diminishing yields.
The northern countries of Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia had higher moisture levels during the winter months, particularly as dryness began to take hold of the Balkans in February and March. After significant late winter moisture, the lack of rain from April through June has caught up with this region as well. Yields in northeast Europe have also been lowered from initial May estimates as these regions also require additional moisture.
Please click on the following areas to observe:
Romania spring precipitation graphs
Romania spring temperature graphs
AVHRR Satellite imagery for eastern Europe
Click for More Romanian Precipitation Graphs:
Temperatures have been consistently above average in Romania during the spring. As shown in graph below, the average temperature since April (in red) has not fallen below the "normal" average (in blue) once.
Click for More Romanian Temperature Graphs:
AVHRR Satellite Imagery for Eastern Europe. The blue regions in the first image reveal crop lands that are much drier this year than they were in 1999. These standard false colored composites show healthy plant vegetation in the darkest red. The satellite sensor detects infrared energy largely emitted from plant life, and is colored red in these images. Eastern Europe has some very rugged terrain which is predominately forests. These forests with their thick canopy and deep root systems appear the darkest red in these images and can easily be separated from the agricultural areas, particularly in this year's drought-ravaged image.
1st half June 2000 ..............Eastern Europe.....................1st half June 1999
Romania AVHRR Satellite Imagery | Poland AVHRR Satellite Imagery | Current weather in Eastern Europe | Top
For more information, contact Bryan Purcell with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 690-0138. email: purcellb@fas.usda.gov
