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In Pridnestrovie, record heat causes drought conditions to worsen over the length of the entire unrecognized country

RYBNITSA (Tiraspol Times) - Drought in Pridnestrovie can lead to low yield and even to the loss of some agricultural crops, local news agency PMR News reported Tuesday.

In the past week, following an early heat-wave, drought conditions have worsened over the length of the entire country.

May set records for dry conditions in the country. Across the main crop-producing regions of Pridnestrovie, the most severe drought in this decade is damaging crops and cutting into farmers' pockets.

Tatyana Batsa, the Chief of Agri-Meteorology Department of Trans-Dniester Republican Hydro-meteorological Center explained that summer started early this year, registering full summer temperatures on 11 May 2007.

Mrs. Batsa explained than the average daily temperature exceeded the level of 15 degrees on May 11th - it actually marks the beginning of the summer period according to the agri-meteorological benchmarks. "Moreover, the beginning of summer season was characterized by droughts both in air and on the surface. The air drought means that the temperature is more than 25 Co, the relative humidity is less than 30%, and the rainfalls have been absent for a long period of time. The drought of soil means that there is a low stock of the productive moisture in the plow layer, i.e. less than 10 mm. This figure constituted only 3-4 mm in some locations of the Republic."

Optimal conditions for vegetable crops in this period of time constitute 25-40 mm of the productive moisture in the plow layer of the soil.

" - If there is no additional irrigation or any other melioration activities, such drought will inevitably lead to great losses of harvest. Talking about fruit crops, this situation may cause the drying and dropping of flowers and fruit sets", Tatyana Batsa stressed.

Pridnestrovie farmlands suffering severe drought has local farmers concerned, with some, like grain farmer Grigore Sova, weighing their options and considering alternative crops.

" - We're struggling along," he said, adding that there is grave concern about the effect of the drought.

A survey will be done among farmers to determine the full extent and impact of the drought in the unrecognized country.

Southern Ukraine also suffering drought

The drought which is battering Pridnestrovie is also felt in southern Ukraine. That country's leadership will soon convene to tackle problems caused by May's severe drought, President Victor Yushchenko said on Tuesday during a short meeting with the local leaders, the Unian news agency reported.

" - The state will not leave you face-to-face with these problems," he said in a speech to farmers.

" - We must together resolve this crisis and find a mechanism to help the affected farms."

Approximately one third of Pridnestrovie's population are ethnic Ukrainians. Before being bundled with Moldova (in the now-dissolved Moldavian SSR under Communist dictator Josef Stalin), Pridnestrovie was part of Ukraine. At the time, Ukraine itself was in turn alternately part of Russia and the Soviet Union. (With information from PMR News)

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