May night frosts in Ukraine have severely damaged crops of "Sady Poltavshchyny," a farm specialising in horticulture and vegetable growing. Roman Tsinchenko, the owner, reports that 90% of their cherries, almost all apples, and a significant portion of plums were lost. Some areas were untouched, while others saw over half their berry crops destroyed.
"This year has been tough. Despite using all possible measures against frost, we couldn't save the harvest. Although the forecast indicated a slight drop, temperatures reached -6°C, making our efforts futile," says Tsinchenko.
The farm's losses exceed 1.5 million UAH due to the cherry crop failure alone, which typically provides the first revenue for further production expenses. "In 15 years of work, I've never seen anything like this. The remaining fruits will not provide the planned yield," Tsinchenko states.
"Sady Poltavshchyny" began vegetable farming in 2022, allocating up to 10 hectares for cabbage, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and watermelons this season. Unfortunately, all tomato seedlings were destroyed by frost. Peppers were also affected, but some plants survived. Cabbage, being more frost-resistant, saw no mass die-off, though yield may be impacted.
The farm paused raspberry cultivation to renew plantations. Need 11 million UAH for new ones. They hope to secure a grant from foreign partners to resume in the fall.
Despite challenges, the farm plans to expand vegetable cultivation next year. Tsinchenko emphasises the need to identify demand, calculate volumes, and study the market to operate effectively. Although his passion lies with orchards and berry farming, he will plant vegetables in uncertain times.
Source: agroportal.ua