The quantity of sunflower and wheat that will be harvested this year is expected to be lower than in 2014. The State Hydrometeorology Service said the lower harvest is due to the insufficient precipitation that fell in May, which in parts represented 10% to 65% of the norm, IPN reports.

As a result of the carried out agro-meteorological examinations, the State Hydrometeorology Service anticipated for 2015 an average harvest of 2.8-3.1 tonnne/ha of winter wheat. The average for the last ten years was 2.7-2.8 tonne/ha of wheat, but last year it was 3.5 tonne/ha.

The average sunflower yield this year was projected to be 1.4-1.6 tonne/ha. Last year, the average production per hectare was 2.1 tonne/ha of sunflower and the Moldovan framers obtained one of the best harvests in the last few years, of over 500,000 tonnes.

The crops this year were affected by the May drought and then by the heavy rain with hail of June.