August 21, 2002

That giant storm system that moved across Eastern Europe earlier this month is more commonly experienced in winter, says USDA. But this one intensified over the Mediterranean Sea before it moved over continental Europe. It spread rain on the long-parched eastern European landscape, which has already seen cereal production drop from early summer precipitation deficits.

The storm's massive expanse enabled it to douse Eastern Europe in its entirety. In areas where rainfall totals weren't as extreme, the rains will certainly prove beneficial to the summer crops.

Ironically, says USDA, before the storm, the entire region of central Europe had seen low crop yields due to an extended lack of moisture and excessive early summer heat. Among the benefactors to this recent weather change will be the farmers in drought stricken areas of eastern Hungary, eastern Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. These areas have until recently experienced a hot, dry summer which has accelerated plant development and left corn and sunflower plants withering.

During recent USDA officials' travel through the region in late July and early August much of the corn crop was stunted and past the point at which additional rainfall could help. The summer crops that were planted late (some as late as June because of early dryness) will see marked improvements. Sunflowers showed resilience during the field travel, with many fields in good shape.

The middle countries of Eastern Europe produce wheat, barley, and rapeseed. In addition, corn is also grown in Slovakia. The wheat crop and the region's primary oilseed crop, rapeseed, is predominantly autumn seeded. Barley is largely a spring planted grain. Corn, a spring planted crop is still in the ground and hence vulnerable to the heavy August rains.

In the first half of Eastern Europe's 2002-03 summer season there were higher than normal temperatures and prolonged dryness that began after fall planting. This combination triggered an early harvest, which would have been completed before the heavy August rains arrived between Aug. 10 and 13.

Therefore, says USDA, the winter grain crops should not have been caught in the field during the flooding. The corn crop however, largely grown just in Slovakia, probably suffered from the excessive rains but as of now the effects are uncertain.