Serbia's Corn and Sunflower Yields Plummet Amid Drought

Corn yields in Vojvodina have dropped significantly, down 50 to 60 percent from average years. Sunflower yields are also lower, down 30 to 40 percent. Jovan Simeonov, a farmer from Bavaniste in Banat, says the drought has damaged all crops this season.

Bosko Blagojevic, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Novi Sad, explains that corn and soybeans are most sensitive to heat waves during flowering, silking, and fertilization. This means poor fertilization can result in fewer kernels per ear and weaker grain fill, directly affecting yield.

Sunflower prices in Serbia are currently below production costs, at 40 dinars per kilogram. Jovan Simeonov estimates that the price needs to be at least 60 dinars per kilogram for farmers to break even.