Serious risks to crops exist for parts of Romania and Bulgaria, as well as Ukraine and the Russian Federation

Europe’s cereal fields are generally in good shape after a dry, mild spell helped them recover from a dry start to autumn, although the grain belts around the Black Sea lack sufficient winter hardiness, the EU’s crop monitoring service said on Monday. Echoing comments from its November report, MARS said in its December update that drier weather had allowed farmers to complete sowing in western Europe despite delays. Meanwhile, in central and northern Europe, moderate cold snaps had no negative impact and soil moisture reserves remained well above critical levels. But the risks are more serious along the Black Sea coast, which includes parts of European Union member states Romania and Bulgaria, as well as Ukraine and Russia. “Sowing and initial development of winter wheat has been severely hampered by very dry topsoil, leaving the crop underdeveloped and in poor condition,” MARS said. Traders have been hit by reports of a very poor harvest in Russia, the world’s largest wheat ...