MOSCOW: Russia has declared a state of emergency in the Tomsk region of Siberia’s agricultural sector due to significant crop damage caused by adverse weather conditions, according to the regional governor on Friday.
Governor Vladimir Mazur said that prolonged damp and cold weather had led to waterlogging, resulting in the destruction of crops across nearly 3,000 hectares.
The state of emergency will allow farmers to apply for compensation. This follows similar declarations in other regions earlier this year due to damage from frosts in May. Mazur instructed local officials to assess the damage thoroughly and ensure that harvesting efforts continue as soon as weather conditions improve. “When favorable weather returns, harvesting should proceed around the clock,” he emphasized.
Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut acknowledged on August 20 that Russia might fall short of its wheat harvest projections, marking the first official admission of weather-related impacts this year. While the ministry has maintained its overall grain harvest forecast at 132 million metric tons, including 86 million tons of wheat, Lut noted that the wheat forecast could be adjusted downward as the harvest season concludes.
On August 30, agricultural consultancy Sovecon revised its estimate for Russia’s 2024 wheat crop, lowering it to 82.5 million metric tons from an earlier forecast of 83.3 million metric tons.
