Snowfall disaster in Russia – Crops buried under more than a foot of snow

October 4, 2017 by Robert W. Felix , Friday, October 06, 2017

Emergency declared in three regions of Khakassia. Harvesting of feed and grain crops temporarily suspended.  At first came the heavy rains so harvesting couldn’t begin. Then came the frosts and snow, from 10 to 40 cm (4 to 16 inches) deep. Under the snow is the harvest of 2017 … A real disaster.

“Barley is completely laid down, the snow is wet, heavy, I do not know whether the ear will rise after melting snow or not. Here 120 hectares, there is a wedge of 150 hectares, and more oats. Only 480 hectares went under the snow,” complains Vasily Aprelkov, a farmer from the Bograd region.

“We have in some territories 5-10 cm, in others up to 40 cm fell. But the total area of grain and fodder crops remaining under snow is enormous, “says Valery Sulekov, deputy head of the Ordzhonikidzevsky district.

According to preliminary data, 3,000 hectares were affected in the Bogradsky region, 18,000 in Shirinsky and 22,000 in Ordzhonikidzevsky. Only 43,000 hectares of grain and forage crops. At first glance, the damage amounts to 120 to 150 million rubles.

“For agrarians falling snow on unharvested fields is a real disaster,” said Alexander Bashkov, the head of the Ministry of Agriculture.

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