The sowing of rapeseed in Ukraine is accelerating, but the lack of precipitation may lead to a reduction in areas.
Last weekend, it rained in most parts of Ukraine – favourable weather for rapeseed sowing. But in general, soil moisture reserves are quite low. So the plans of Ukrainian farmers to increase the rape sowing area to a record 1.9 million hectares may not come true.
According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, most farmers do not plan to significantly change the areas under winter crops. During the third decade of August, there was no effective precipitation in Ukraine. So the moisture reserves were not replenished. The areas intended for sowing winter crops in the southern regions were slightly moistened, and in some areas of the northern, central and eastern regions they were completely dry.
The optimal sowing time for winter rapeseed expires in the first ten days of September. Thus, farmers were forced to sow rapeseed in unfavourable conditions. Since only in certain areas of the western and northern regions was the moisture content satisfactory.
As a result of soil drought in Ukraine, there are unfavourable conditions for sowing winter crops at the optimum time, especially since, according to forecasts, no precipitation is expected until mid-September. Therefore, it would be advisable to sow later, after replenishing the moisture reserves in the soil.
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