Krasnodar Faces Agricultural Crisis with $600M in Drought-Induced Crop Losses, Warns Agribusiness Leader

A persistent drought in the Krasnodar region of southern Russia has resulted in agricultural losses estimated at approximately 46 billion rubles ($572 million) this summer, according to a local agribusiness representative speaking on Wednesday.

“Damage from the drought in the northern parts of the Krasnodar region has reached about 46 billion rubles,” stated Konstantin Yurov, president of the People’s Farmer of Kuban business association, during an interview with regional media. “This equates to a loss of around 2.8 million tons of grain.”

The European Drought Observatory, managed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, indicated that by the end of July, the majority of northern Krasnodar was under the highest drought alert level, while other areas in the region were under warning and monitoring conditions.

Earlier this summer, officials in Krasnodar declared a state of emergency across nine districts—a situation comparable to U.S. counties—due to a prolonged dry period negatively impacting countless farmers in this vital area for grain, vegetable, and sunflower production. This declaration allows farmers to request governmental support.

Yurov mentioned that his organization has urged Russia’s Agriculture Ministry to extend loan repayment deadlines and postpone leasing payments for farmers affected by the drought, aiming to help them avoid insolvency.

The People’s Farmer of Kuban association had previously warned that the drought-affected regions could see up to a 25% decline in yields for crops such as wheat, corn, and sunflower during the upcoming fall harvest.

Despite these setbacks, Russia’s Agriculture Ministry continues to project a national harvest of 135 million tons, slightly higher than last year’s figure of 129.8 million tons, attributing this outlook to strong performance from the Central, Volga, and North Caucasus regions. Although the domestic food supply seems secure, experts caution that the drought may impact Russia’s grain exports.

Climate scientists report that the occurrence and severity of droughts worldwide are escalating due to the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.