The situation with the harvest in the Stavropol Krai is escalating: bad weather and the victims of the elements are causing concerns.

In the Stavropol Krai, the period that is considered one of the most challenging for farmers - the harvest season - will be here soon. This year, the season starts a bit earlier than usual. According to experts, the wheat harvest is expected to be around 6.5 million tons, approximately the same as last year. However, the weather is causing concerns - there have been frosts, droughts, and hail, as reported by the Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

The regional parliament estimated an overall reduction in the harvest due to natural disasters of up to 17%, which amounts to more than a million tons. The main reason for this is considered to be the dry weather in March and April of 2024.

«This year is not easy for farmers. But the Stavropol Krai will be provided with bread. We will have enough grain for our own needs and for exporting several million tons,» - said the speaker of the regional parliament, Nikolay Velikdan, after the meeting of the operational headquarters for harvest preparation.

Due to soil dryness, there is a lack of moisture, so the harvest will start earlier. However, forecasts suggest that June will be rainy, which will slightly improve the situation.

The Governor of Stavropol, Vladimir Vladimirov, also noted this. He called the current season complicated and highlighted the support to agricultural enterprises, for which the budget of the region for 2024 includes 5.9 billion rubles.

«This year, weather conditions have caused concern,» he stressed. «I hope that rains will improve the lack of moisture in the soil. In the future, we will increase insurance volumes in agriculture and develop land reclamation. And today, we say "thank you" to farmers who have made every effort to preserve and increase the harvest.»

But everything changed, and the long-awaited rain turned into a natural disaster. At the beginning of June, in four districts of the region, up to 60% of the monthly precipitation norm fell, which also damaged the crops. The greatest damage was recorded in the Andropovsky, Georgievsky, Mineralovodsky, and Predgorny districts. Field studies are underway, but damage assessments are currently unavailable.

At the end of May, a severe hailstorm also hit the central part of the region. Fortunately, it almost did not harm the fields but caused significant damage to the resort towns of the Kavkazskiy Mineralnye Vody.

The sowing area in the Stavropol Krai is 2.9 million hectares. Grain crops occupy 83% of this area. Oilseed crops occupy 14%, and sugar beets, fodder crops, vegetables, pumpkins, and others each occupy one percent.

Currently, the final preparations for the harvest are being completed in the fields. The Minister of Agriculture of Stavropol, Sergey Izmalkov, stated that specialists are assessing the condition of agricultural crops, and engineering services are preparing to deploy tractors and combines in the field.

6.7 thousand units of agricultural machinery were prepared for autumn and winter in the region. Currently, they are fully prepared and awaiting the command to start the harvesting season. Repair work this year was done above plan. The decision on the start of work in the fields is made by each district at preliminary meetings.

The fuel reserves were also calculated. By the end of May, farms had accumulated 48.9 thousand tons of diesel fuel and 6.1 thousand tons of gasoline, which amounts to 48.2% and 69.1% of the needs for spring and field work.

«One of the main aspects of the harvesting campaign is the serious preparation of harvesting equipment for the important field season and the coordinated work of support services,» emphasized the First Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Stavropol, Elena Tambovtseva.

The Ministry of Agriculture noted that farmers in the region are generally ready for the harvest. Currently, no engineering factors are forecasted to affect the harvesting season.