The abnormal heat, which has lasted in Ukraine for the past three weeks, can significantly affect the yield and price tags for products. The price of staple foods such as potatoes, carrots, eggs and meat are forecast to rise due to the challenges caused by the hot summer season. This is reported by Focus.

Ukrainian farmers plan to harvest 65-69 million tons of grain and oil crops this year. However, according to Suzana Hryhorenko, executive director of the Seed Association of Ukraine, the sown area in Ukraine has been decreasing for the third year in a row, both for spring and winter crops. This is partly due to logistical difficulties and the consequences of a full-scale Russian invasion, as well as shelling of Ukrainian energy systems. Crops that need drying, such as corn, are especially affected.

The heat will also negatively affect the sunflower crop, with soybeans the most affected. Soybean formation is very slow and high temperatures result in small beans and low 1000 seed weights. These conditions will cause a decrease in the quantity and quality of the crop.

World Bank expert Oksana Ruzhenkova notes that the abnormal heat in Ukraine will negatively affect the harvest of borscht vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots and cabbage, which, in turn, will lead to an increase in prices for these products. Therefore, in the autumn period, borscht can become more expensive.

In addition, tomatoes and cucumbers, which are not grown in greenhouses, were significantly affected. Oksana Ruzhenkova noted that the price of cucumbers can reach 45-50 hryvnias per kilo at the peak of their harvest, and prices for these products are unlikely to decrease. Huge vegetable growing regions in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions were also seriously damaged, and the expansion of areas under tomatoes in Odesa region, focused on processing, is unlikely to solve the problem.

Oleg Pendzyn, director of the Economic Discussion Club, adds that food prices will be affected not only by heat and rain, but also by problems with electricity supply. Instability in the supply of electricity leads to the need to cool raw materials for meat and dairy products, which increases their cost. If these problems are not solved, the price of milk and meat is expected to rise until the end of August.

A low grain harvest will also have a negative impact on livestock and the dairy sector. For example, corn, which is the basis for compound feed, accounts for 70% of the cost of egg production, so its shortage can lead to higher prices for eggs and other livestock products.