Harvest Disrupted by Chilly May: Detailed Analysis of Fruits and Vegetables Affected by Cold Temperatures and Anticipated Price Hikes
The fact that a crop "has been harmed" doesn't necessarily mean it's been annihilated. The final yield is largely dependent on the summer weather and how well the crop has been cared for.
Photo
Let's take a peek at Shutterstock to visualize it.
And now, let's dive into some social media panic! Telegram channels are shouting: the harvest is lost, prices will soar, we're looking at a deficit of fruits and berries! But we ain't scared, nor new to this game. We've seen frosts in May before, like last year when folks were telling us to buy expensive cherries because apparently the entire harvest had frozen. But did cherries freeze? Nah, they just... got cheaper.
So, what's the scoop this year? Let's find out.
Plenty of Drama, but Numbers are the Truth
WHERE LOST AND WHAT FROZE
Let's try to keep our emotions in check and look at some facts. Here's a rundown of the regions and crops that have taken a hit:
Krasnodar and Stavropol Krais, Adygea
Troubles are brewing for stone fruits (peaches, apricots, cherries, plums), sugar beets, and strawberries in these areas. It's uncertain how extensive the damage is, as there have been multiple occasions of frost waves. In Krasnodar Krai, there were as many as four!
- Strawberries, oh boy! Around 80% of open-field strawberries (not grown in greenhouses) has been ruined. But that's not all - the current rains aren't helping. We can guess that this year's strawberry yield will take a substantial hit, likely dropping around 40% compared to last year[1][2][3].
In Stavropol Krai, hail was thrown into the mix.
- After the frosts and hail, my farm's yield of plums, peaches, apricots, and cherries is almost completely crushed. The fruits are dead, and the buds can be counted on your fingers...[1]
Apricots and peaches are super fragile crops. Frost affects them the hardest. Meanwhile, the yield for pears and apples is barely affected. They bloomed after the freeze[1]
Hey, guess what? This isn't new to local farmers.
- In Stavropol, apricots yield only 4 years out of 10, and peaches - 6 years. Yeah, you read that right, these catastrophes aren't a rarity here[1]
But not every farmer in southern Russia is losing crops. Almost, but not entirely.
- Lucky us! The frost swept through in stripes, so our strawberries were spared, but in other areas, they simply froze. But last year, we started harvesting on April 16th, and this year, only after May 1st. I can already predict a price hike due to the late harvest and overall shortage. But we've got 500 grams of strawberries for each Muscovite: no one will miss out on desserts. But cherries and raspberries? Devastated, almost totally[1]
Next year, we'll plant some frost-resistant varieties[1]
Crimea
- The frosts have dealt a significant blow to yields in Crimea. The main casualties are nut-bearing trees, cherries, and plums. The overall yield has dropped by 15% according to Crimea's Minister of Agriculture, Denis Kratyuk[4]
- In Crimea, these problems occur periodically, but not on this scale in a long time[5]
You know those cherries that usually show up on Crimean shelves in mid-May? Not this year. The frosts have blocked their appearance[4]
Strawberries, they're more expensive now compared to last year. Last year, they were sold for 300-400 rubles in May, but this year it's 400-500, reports a saleswoman at a Simferopol market[4]
More Struggles
Belgorod Region, Voronezh Region
No peaches or apricots in the Tver Region, but they grow blackcurrant, and it's also been influenced.
- May night frosts that dropped to minus two degrees Celsius occurred during the flowering period, so significant damage to the crop is expected[6]
Due to frosts, a state of emergency is being prepared in the Voronezh Region to allow farmers to receive insurance for the lost crop. Temperatures dropped to minus 8-10 degrees Celsius in some areas, affecting 2,600 hectares of orchards and berry plantations (44% of plantings) and 30,000 hectares of winter crops and sugar beets.
However, these figures are not as bad as last year, when the May frosts destroyed 245,000 hectares of sugar beets and winter crops in the Voronezh region[6]
HELP FROM ABROAD
It's still too early to predict the final damage, but so far, there's no reason to expect a sugar shortage or increase in prices due to the frosts[7]
At this point, ya'll think that frosts mean the end, but they don't necessarily mean death. The final yield depends on the summer weather and the care given to the crop.
Despite the damage to various crops like strawberries, stone fruits, and sugar beets in regions such as Krasnodar and Stavropol Krais, Adygea, and Crimea, it's important to note that a crop "has been harmed" doesn't guarantee its "annihilation". The outcome largely depends on the summer weather and the care given to the crops. Meanwhile, changes in the yield of certain crops could impact business sectors such as food-and-drink and lifestyle, possibly leading to fluctuations in food prices.
