Kherson region's farmers' losses from war and drought approach one billion hryvnias

The losses of Kherson region farmers due to unfavorable weather conditions (frosts in spring and drought in summer) and the war have already approached UAH 1 billion. This was reported by Dmytro Yunusov, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Irrigation Development of the Kherson Regional State Administration, writes UkrAgroConsult.

According to him, despite the ongoing shelling and drone attacks, harvesting continues in the fields of Kherson region, and some farmers have already started sowing winter barley.

Yunusov noted that the average yield in the region is one and a half to two times lower than last year, despite the fact that the area under crops has increased from 153,000 hectares to 230,000 hectares.

Thus, the average yield in the Kherson region this year is 12.8 centners per hectare, while in 2024 this figure reached 25.1 centners per hectare, and in 2021 – 42.2 centners per hectare.

So far, documents have been collected on the destruction or damage to more than 40,000 hectares of crops, and another 20-30,000 hectares of sunflower will also be recognized as dead in the near future.

Due to drone strikes and artillery strikes, 3,200 hectares of fields have burned, many agricultural machines have been destroyed, and farmers have been killed and injured.

Despite the losses, farmers have already harvested wheat, barley, peas, millet and vegetables and started harvesting sunflower. As of the end of August, the region harvested more than 102,300 tons of grains and pulses from a total area of 79,600 hectares.

• September 5 russian occupation troops killed Kherson farmer Oleksandr Hordiyenko – a deputy of the Kherson Regional Council, owner of the Gordienko farm and head of the Association of Farmers and Private Landowners of Kherson Region.