In early May EastFruit reported of late April frosts’ aftermaths for the Ukrainian fruit and berry business. As reported, there were short frosts in the northern regions of Ukraine with temperature falling to 5 degrees Celsius below zero.
Ukrainian fruit and berry growers were forced to apply anti-frost measures in those regions, which are expected to minimize harvest losses. As a result, a fall in temperature hit hard flowering berry plantations only in exceptional cases.
On the night between May 11th and 12th, growers from some central regions of Ukraine (Cherkasy and Vinnytsia Oblasts, in particular) again reported of a fall in temperature below zero, with frosts occurring on the surface of the ground.
Those frosts damaged strawberry plantations, as plants were in flowering stage, with especially serious damages observed on downstream plantations. Nevertheless, those growers, who have managed to react fast and take anti-frost measures, such as direct watering, will most likely minimize their losses from a fall in temperature.
As regards other regions of Ukraine, most farmers report of stable flowering on their berry plantations, which means that the damage from frosts in Ukraine is of a local character. Thus, the fate of the 2023 harvest of fruits and berries in Ukraine, as well as other countries, still depends on future weather factors, as frosts are still possible until the end of May.
For more information: east-fruit.com