Ongoing conflict and extreme weather have damaged 50% of winter crops in the right-bank Kherson region of Ukraine, reported NikVesti, worsening a growing agricultural crisis that is the result of drought and front-line warfare conditions.
What's happening?
According to Oleksandr Hordiienko, chairman of the Association of Farmers and Private Landowners of the Kherson Region, half of the winter crop area was damaged by a cold snap in April.
"Although the frosts in spring were light, they had a significant impact," Hordiienko said, per Pryazovia News (via NikVesti). He added that farmers are also battling drought conditions and lack safe access to their fields due to the region's proximity to the front lines and the constant threat of drone attacks.
"The situation in the Kherson region is very difficult. It is impossible to work in the fields without electronic warfare and drone protection, as the risks are too high," said Hordiienko.
Why is crop damage in Ukraine concerning?
Ukraine is a key global supplier of grain, and these crop losses threaten regional food security. For the harvest of 2024-25, Ukraine's grain output fell by 34% compared to 2021-22, per Reuters. Prior to Russia's invasion in 2022, Ukrainian grain output hit record highs.
In Mykolaiv, a region about an hour's drive from Kherson, the same frost event led to widespread losses of stone fruit crops, including apricots, cherries, and cherry plums. Some farms lost their entire harvests.
For farmers, the impact of the crop loss has harmed their livelihoods and left them without the resources or protection they need to recover.
"The situation with the May frosts has been difficult for farmers. This year has clearly shown how decisive weather is for agriculture," Andrii Kuzmych, head of the regional Association of Farmers and Private Landowners in Rivne, told a Ukrainian news source.
Across the globe, extreme weather has led to large-scale crop loss, such as in the Mediterranean, where growers have lost olive yields to drought, and in Asia, where rice farmers have battled floods. In 2023, disasters and severe weather caused over $21 billion in crop losses.
According to an Environmental Defense Fund policy brief, for every increase in global temperature by 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), yields of major crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat may fall up to 20%. The same study found that for every 1 degree Celsius of recorded warming, net farm income decreases by 66%.
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Not enough time ⏳ What can be done about crop loss?
To protect the food supply and the farmers who grow it, we need climate mitigation and adaptation. We must simultaneously reduce the heat-trapping gases driving global temperatures higher and help farmers adapt to the new reality of more extreme weather.
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Dirty fuels account for most of the planet-warming pollution entering the atmosphere, but adopting more energy-efficient appliances and solar power can help slash emissions.
The agricultural industry can also adapt to extreme weather by growing more resilient, hardier crops and incorporating technological innovations.
In regions where conflict prevents farmers from working safely, working toward peace and stability is the only way to ensure a stable food supply. To safeguard our future, we must invest in solutions that ensure front-line farmers have what they need to keep growing.
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