Weather conditions in Europe are gradually returning to the center of attention with the arrival of winter. The lull in rains observed in recent weeks has certainly allowed a normalization of soil water conditions, in France as in Germany, but weather maps are now announcing excessive intakes during the month of January. At the same time, temperatures are expected to drop rapidly from the second week of January, and risk exposing crops to frost damage without sufficient snowfall during this period.
In the Black Sea, on the contrary, it is the mild temperatures that are of concern, particularly in Ukraine and southern Russia. However, the minimums remain close to 0°C and a thermostat more consistent with the winter period is now announced at the start of 2025. snow precipitation are also announced within two weeks, while the rest of the Russian winter wheat production areas have already benefited from a substantial protective covering since mid-December.
In the American Midwest, on the other hand, the cold snap expected at the beginning of January risks affecting crops in a context of lack of precipitation and after an entry into winter marked by temperatures that are too high for good crop resilience. Argentina has also recorded a growing rain deficit for two weeks and the amounts announced within two weeks are still insufficient for the proper development of the corn and soybean crops.
