Cereals suffer from prolonged heat, and berry yields may decrease.

Cereals suffer from heat waves that have lasted since mid-June.

In many places, the summer was extremely hot and dry, but somewhere on the contrary – there was rainfall.

– The general situation in the country cannot be called bad yet. But in some regions, the crop was severely affected by the drought. This year, the harvest will not reach the level of the best years, says the representative of the Central Union of Rural and Forest Producers MTK Max Shulman .

In the spring, rainstorms spoiled the harvest in many regions, for example, in Varsinais-Suomi. And now the re-sowing is suffering from the heat.

– The mood in the agricultural sector in Varsinais-Suomi is very gloomy, says Shulman.

The heat helps harvest hay, and harms legumes

Legumes suffer the most from the heat, that is, peas and beans, as well as oilseeds.

For some plant species, the summer, on the contrary, turned out to be favorable. For example, grass for hay grows and the first harvest of forage crops will be good.

Blueberries are growing well

Berry plants have been pollinated well this year and have not been affected by the drought so far. They are still immature, so they do not suffer much from the heat.

If the drought continues, their size will decrease and the quality will deteriorate.

– It is a pity if the harvest of berries deteriorates due to drought and heat, says researcher Outi Manninen from Center for Natural Resources LUKE.

At the same time, the lingonberry is still in bloom and therefore more vulnerable to drought. Manninen, however, adds that there are a lot of lingonberries in the forests, so it is hardly worth fearing a shortage.

Potential rainfall after Wednesday

Heat-driven drought throughout the country.

Rain is not expected at the start of the week, but rain is likely to increase after Wednesday, although it will be short-lived.

– It takes a lot of rain to saturate the ground. Then the threat of forest fires will also disappear, says Ye sse Heikkila from the Meteorological Center.