As Russia fights to protect land sown with wheat, barley and other crops from record high temperatures, seventeen regions have declared emergencies because of the severe heat and drought.
With temperatures likely to remain as high as 36° Celsius (96.8° degrees Fahrenheit) for days to come, Russia’s Agricultural ministry has lowered its forecast for total grain production to 81.5 million from 85 million tons, compared to last year’s 97 million tons. According to the Ministry, the drought has, so far, damaged a devastating 22.9 million acres of crops across Russia. This damage has prompted increased domestic demands for government restrictions on crop exports.
Significantly, the drought puts a halt to Russia’s recent agricultural revival. Russia is home to some of the world’s most fertile land for grain crops, known as the black earth region. In recent years, Russia has tried to meet steadily rising global food demands by investing substantial efforts to increase machinery, silos, and grain-carrying railway cars to this region. However, vast irrigation throughout this land remained impossible, due to the areas sheer immensity, forcing farmers to depend on annual rainfall.
While this year’s late rainfall is expected to make little difference in overall agricultural production, attention now turns to Siberia where weather is considered “normal” and crop production may help compensate for the nations’ devastating loss.
Posted by Emma Fursland.
Photo Credit: © RIA Novosti. Andrey Archipov.
