Drought Threatens Eastern European Staple Crops — Farmers Warn Entire Harvests At Risk

Drought and Heat Threaten Harvests Across Eastern Europe

Farmers across Eastern Europe are reporting mounting difficulties as persistent drought and extreme heat strain agricultural systems and water supplies. According to Rubryka, rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are creating conditions that could lead to widespread land degradation in areas once considered secure.

Ukraine's Kharkiv region has recorded three consecutive years of falling crop yields even as farmers maintain or increase investments. Local farmer Andrii Voronkin said wheat harvests that once reached 5–6 tons per hectare a decade ago now yield about 3 tons per hectare.

The strongest frosts usually occur in the early morning, from 4 to 6 A.M., Voronkin said. It’s only two hours, but that’s enough to destroy almost all the blossoms and lose the entire harvest.

In 2025, parts of the region experienced soil temperatures as high as 140°F (about 60°C) during summer, while air humidity fell to roughly 25–30%. Climatologist Vira Balabukh of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute warns that warming has pushed Ukraine’s steppe zone northward, leaving this vital agricultural area drier and more vulnerable.

Scientists emphasize that extreme weather is not new, but human-driven warming is intensifying it. Warmer air holds more moisture and increases atmospheric instability, which can produce more extreme rainfall events. When rain does come, it increasingly falls as intense downpours the soil cannot absorb, causing runoff and leaving farms with persistent moisture deficits.

Researchers cited in the article warn that by the mid-2040s Ukraine could face near-annual droughts across much of the country. Separately, the European Copernicus Climate Service reported that summer 2024 was the hottest ever recorded in Western Europe.

To help farmers adapt, the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute launched POSUKHA, a free web service that provides 14-day drought forecasts so growers can plan irrigation and protect crops. Conservation measures such as planting shelterbelts and restoring mixed forests can also retain soil moisture, reduce erosion, and support biodiversity. In Kharkiv's Izium area, 43 hectares of new trees were planted in June and another 2.7 hectares are planned for restoration by year’s end.

Individual and collective actions matter: changes in everyday behavior and support for policies that reduce emissions and bolster climate resilience can help communities cope and reduce long-term risk to food supplies.