July 13 2004, 14:50 APK-Inform

Showers damaged grain crops in western Ukraine

According to a farming official from Lvov Regional State Administration, showers and windstorms have caused lodging of 3,300 hectares of grain crops in the region, the web-site of Ukrainian Grain Association has informed.

The official said that the occurrence might negatively affect grain yield in some of the agricultural districts. However, he said, it was too early to speak about any substantial cuts into total grain crop, as such natural phenomena had been registered in the Oblast nearly each year.

The crops in other Oblasts of western Ukraine have been also damaged by weather. The AP Minster Viktor Slauta told reporters on July 11 that showers and hailstorms had completely killed the plantings of early wheat and barley in two agricultural districts of Ivano-Frankovsk Oblast. Grain crops also suffered in nine districts of Ternopol Oblast, as well as in some locations of Zakarpatye and Nikolaev Oblast.