A number of significant grain-producing areas in southern Russia and the annexed Crimea have declared agricultural emergencies due to extreme drought and spring frosts.

“Farmers are facing very challenging weather conditions this year,” stated Rostov region Governor Yury Slyusar in a Telegram post on Wednesday.

According to his office, over 500,000 hectares (approximately 1.24 million acres) of crops have been lost to drought, affecting nearly half of the region. Currently, ten of Rostov’s 43 districts, equivalent to U.S. counties, are under an emergency regime.

The declaration of an agricultural emergency enables affected farmers to seek compensation and highlights potential risks to harvest expectations. The harvesting process in Rostov is scheduled to commence in the latter half of June.

In the adjacent Krasnodar region, the regional governor mentioned last week that he was contemplating a similar emergency declaration for northern districts neighboring Rostov.

Kremlin-appointed authorities in annexed Crimea announced an agricultural emergency on Tuesday for at least five towns and districts impacted by late frosts.

The Rostov region has also experienced spring frosts, although they were reportedly less severe than in the previous year, when adverse weather conditions led to a more than 20% decrease in the harvest. An emergency related to frost has been in effect there since May 19.

According to a report from the European Drought Observatory in late May, southern Russia, Belarus, and much of Ukraine are still under drought warnings due to ongoing precipitation deficits.

Despite these weather-related challenges, Russia’s grain harvest is still anticipated to total 135 million metric tons this year, an increase from 130 million in 2023, as indicated by Deputy Prime Minister for Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev on Tuesday.

Russia holds the position of the world’s leading grain exporter.