Hail storms which hit Ukraine last week (16-17 May), have caused damage to the largest berry producing regions in Central and Western Ukraine. There is concern that these recent storms will have an impact on berry quality and production for the coming season, but it is too early to say exactly what the losses will be at this point. This most recent weather development occurred just after an industry meeting had been held on the 15th of May, discussing how the unusually warm spring weather caused many fruits to flower to quickly, and how it might have an effect on the 2018 fruit and berry harvest. According "UKRSADPROM", the 2018 harvest has the potential to exceed last year by 10-30%, but that was only in the case of favourable weather conditions. "The damage caused to last year's fruit harvest losses by adverse weather conditions have been estimated at 0.5 million tons," said the chairman of the Association "UKRSADPROM" Dmitry Krushka. "Weather will be a major risk factor this year as well and most producers are cautious in making harvest estimates for this year. The unusually warm weather this spring has meant that the flowering period will start too early (in around 5-10 days instead of 2-3 weeks) and the current weather also puts the fruits at risk for various pests and diseases, due to the accelerated maturation of individual fruits and berries, along with a lack of moisture. Fruit growers will not be able to make an accurate estimate until June, when it becomes clear how many fruits they actually have on the trees." The Director of Brusvyana nursery, Liliana Dmitrieva, said that there will be several factors influencing the yields on the berry market, "The berries planted three years ago are reaching maturity this season, which will cause a large increase in production. Tunnel production is increasing which helps protect the crops from bad weather conditions and also extends the amount of time we are able to have Ukrainian berries on the shelves. However, this recent hailstorm has the potential to cause significant damage to our 2018 harvest." Source - http://www.freshplaza.com