There has been no significant rainfall anywhere in the region since then. The high atmospheric temperature suddenly set in April added to the suffering of plant crops. – Rapeseed mainly suffered from the weather. The stress caused by heat and drought forced the plants to end their vegetation as soon as possible. The stock blossomed relatively quickly at temperatures that could be described as hot compared to the time of year. Few side shoots grew on the stems, the pollens dried up and almost burned, so the fertilization of the seeds is rather weak. If the crops receive enough rainfall that the full grains can fatten up, so to speak, we can still expect a grain yield of roughly 1-1.5 tons per hectare on average. Where rapeseed was given irrigation water, flowering was abundant. It is possible, however, that the high cost of water supply will take away the benefits of the surplus crop – Gábor Pesti, the vice president of the Nagykőrös farmers’ circle, outlined what he experienced during the border inspection.
Photo: Jenő Miklay
The growers are not satisfied with the condition of the autumn ears either. For the time being, no serious decline in plant development is apparent on the better-quality farmlands, but on the drier soils yellowing of the leaves is visible in some places, and the autumn barley has already sprouted its ears in mid-April. The fate of the spring ones is also uncertain at the end of April. MAGOSZ’s latest drought report notes: the Great Plain has never had such a mild winter, such a warm March. The lands of Hómochátság barely received precipitation. Since the middle of March, the top 20 centimeters of the soil has been dangerously dry, so the drought is intensifying in an increasingly large area, also from the point of view of spring sowing.
– The development of corn and sunflowers in the region is presumably hindered by the cold weather. The natural conditions for sowing were relatively favorable, especially where the soils were worked with water retention technology. However, the precipitation left over from winter will not be enough for much longer. The scattered few millimeters of rain in recent weeks were almost nothing. If the drought continues, the development of spring crops will also be at risk, said Gábor Pesti.
The prospects for the grain harvest are also gloomy in European terms. Compared to the average for many years, a smaller harvest is estimated around this time on the continent. Therefore, for example, the purchase price of edible wheat, according to grain market indications, may rise from the current average of HUF 60,000 to HUF 70,000 per ton.
– Several factors strengthen the idea of rising grain prices. Perhaps we can expect that the demand for fodder will increase as a result of the recent strengthening of domestic animal husbandry. Here, too, mainly Ukrainian export grain stocks shape the purchase prices. In this matter, the growers are more optimistic around this time, because there are recent reports of a decreasing amount of grain exports from there – we heard from the vice president of the farmer’s circle.
