Western FSU
Following recent
rain, sunny skies and near to above normal temperatures encouraged winter and
summer crop development.
In Ukraine, where last week’s rain alleviated dryness
concerns in the north, dry, warm weather (up to 4°C above normal) facilitated
the development of vegetative to heading winter wheat as well as emerging corn
and sunflowers.
Dry weather in central and southern Russia also favoured
vegetative to reproductive winter crops, though short term dryness had begun to
develop in south western portions of Russia’s Southern District (Krasnodar
Oblast).
However, wheat prospects remained favourable in the key southern
winter wheat areas due to near to above normal seasonal rainfall and the
return of showers (per satellite) on May 26.
In Moldova, dry weather
accelerated corn and spring grain planting, while showery conditions in Belarus
and northern Russia maintained favourable moisture for spring grains and summer
crops.
Eastern FSU
A slow-moving storm system
generated 15 to 50 mm of rain across most key growing areas of northern
Kazakhstan and south-central Russia, hampering spring wheat planting efforts
for much of the week.
Spring wheat is typically planted during May, and crop
areas in the southern Urals District and neighbouring portions of northern
Kazakhstan have received 200 to 400 percent of normal rainfall over the past 30
days (as of May 24).
However, drier weather at the end of the week allowed
producers to resume fieldwork, particularly in the Siberia District where soils
are less saturated.
Meanwhile, variable but widespread showers (2-40 mm) over
southern portions of the region provided supplemental moisture for
recently-planted cotton as well as reproductive to filling winter grains.