May 4 2007, 12:21

May frosts - peach and other stone fruits, and strawberry have suffered again

The specialists of ""Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal" have surveyed the producers in various regions of Ukraine and abroad. According to the provided information, the early May frosts have severely damaged fruit trees, mostly in Poland and Moldova. According to the preliminary estimations, the frost impact was considerably smaller for fruit harvest on the territory of Ukraine than in Poland and Moldova.

For example, frosts failed to significantly deteriorate the harvest in Crimea where the orchard blooming was delayed much comparing to the average annual terms. However, in February Crimean producers lost almost all peach and apricot because of the dramatic temperature fall. At the same time, apples were not injured at all. Early strawberry has not practically suffered too, Crimean farmers report. At the same time, there were several messages about partially frost-injure of stone fruit orchards in Kherson oblast, but it is still difficult to evaluate the degree of losses.

The producers in Odesa oblast inform about significantly damaged fruiting buds of peach trees. This fact mostly concerns early peach varieties. Early quince suffered much too. At the same time, the farmers expect excellent harvest of pome fruits in Odesa oblast.

The orchardists of the western regions also inform about insignificant damages of fruit trees because of May frosts. Mostly pome fruits are produced in Western Ukraine - they bloom later than stone fruit trees, that's why the local farmers inform about absence of frost injuries. The growers worry about small quantity of bees because of cool weather, so that the efficiency of pollination may decline. However, the producers expect the apple yield to grow not less than 30-40% judging from the intensive blooming of apple orchards.

Several strawberry fields were frost-injured in the central and northern Ukraine. Apple orchards survived well here too. We will inform the subscribers of "Agrooglyad: Vegetables and Fruits" journal about the perspective influence of frosts on the prices for fruits and vegetables in Ukraine in a new season. You can order the journal analysts to do more detailed forecast for any produce crop.