Ukraine's agriculture ministry sees no significant decrease in the wheat yield in 2018 despite a severe drought across many regions, the ministry said on Tuesday. "Taking into account ... spring moisture reserves, which had a positive effect on the beginning of the harvesting campaign, serious reductions in grain yields are not expected," it said in a statement.
"Due to the fact that precipitation has already begun, we expect that the harvest of early and late crops will be roughly at the level of last year", the ministry quoted acting minister Maksim Martyniuk as saying. Most Ukrainian central, eastern and southern regions have seen no rain since April and a severe drought could shrink this year's wheat harvest by 15-30 percent below original forecasts, weather forecasters said earlier this month.