Severe Damage Expected in Ukraine's Winter Crops

WASHINGTON - Mar 19/03 - SNS -- Bitterly cold weather has raised concern about the level of damage to winter crops, especially in the southern Ukraine, with the USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service believing continued cold will "delay both the resumption of vegetative growth of winter grains and the start of the spring sowing campaign."

Roughly 8 million hectares of winter grains were sown last fall. The total includes an estimated 6.7 million hectares of wheat, down from 7.2 million last year; 600,000 hectares of rye, down from 80,000; and 700,000 hectares of barley, up from 600,000 hectares last year.

Since January, ice crusting has presented a new threat for winter crops. Snow depth in Ukraine during February and early March has been the highest in several years, and because of below-normal temperatures the snow cover has not receded as quickly as in other years.

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