Storms and cold and wet weather over the past two weeks could hurt Ukraine's grain harvest in 2004, analysts and weather experts said on Friday.
Ukraine's hydro-meteorological centre said that in a statement heavy rain in the country's eastern and central regions had caused an increase in the number of weeds and plant diseases. It said storms had flattened a large grain area in the regions.
"The rain has hurt wheat quality. The latest data point to the low quality of the harvested grain," UkrAgroConsult agriculture consultancy said in a statement.
Ukrainian agriculture officials have said the country plans to increase its grain harvest to about 35 million tonnes in 2004. They have not decreased the outlook due to bad weather.