Frost Endangers Grains in Russia’s Krasnodar, Governor Says
February 08, 2012, 8:57 AM ESTBy Marina Sysoyeva
Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Most winter grains in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, which accounted for about 12 percent of last year’s national harvest, are at risk from frost, according to the local governor.
Fields in central Krasnodar are in particular danger as they lack snow deep enough to protect crops, Alexander Tkachev said yesterday at a meeting, according to a statement posted on the regional administration’s website. Temperatures reached minus 25 degrees Celsius (minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit) this month and will stay around minus 20 degrees Celsius, it showed.
The region suffered crop losses before winter started, worsening current conditions, according to the statement. It cited “abnormally early frosts registered in October” that kept crops from strengthening.
Krasnodar’s grain crop came to 11.4 million metric tons last year, according to government statistics.
--Editors: Dan Weeks, Sharon Lindores.
To contact the reporter on this story: Marina Sysoyeva in Moscow at msysoyeva@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Claudia Carpenter at ccarpenter2@bloomberg.net
