The harvest of 2016 in the Volgograd region was sown on 1.1 million hectares of grain crops. Sowing of winter crops had to start earlier because of drought that hit the region in the summer of 2015. Sowing campaign in the region was completed by the middle of September. However, as of early January, about 350 thousand hectares of winter crops are in poor condition, has died.

Experts of regional Committee on agriculture noted that only 50 % of winter crops are in good condition.

"However, this figure is not final. Analysis of the soil in the farms showed that they do not have enough productive moisture, and this will inevitably have a detrimental impact on yield, the harvest and profitability of production. In General, the area of the shoots simki was "torn", and the magnitude of losses are such that it is possible to speak about mass loss of grain", — quoted a source in the regional selhozhimiya "Nezavisimaya Gazeta".

In addition to the deficit of soil moisture last fall, another reason for losses became erratic weather and lack of snow in December. Coming to the region with the beginning of the new year strong frosts, according to the forecast of specialists, can exacerbate the situation, leaving hopes for a good crop in 2016 not only many of the agricultural farms, but entire metro areas.

Farmers Frolovskaya, Chernyshevskogo and several other areas have been seriously preparing for the re-seeding, not relying on the successful growth of winter crops.

"The fall harvest on the square in 350-400 thousand hectares is lost 1,5 million tons of grain. In the past year because of the drought in 19 districts lost harvest on the area of 240 hectares, which amounted to about 1 million tons of grain", — said one of the farmers of the Volgograd region.

For damage from drought, the farmers of the 369 farms in the region received from the state compensation in the amount of 452 million rubles With the same loss of winter crops farmers will have to cope alone. In the end, the wisest were those who absolutely refused of winter.

"Due to the lack of moisture in the soil in the fall we decided not to risk and did not sow asimco. This is because the costs for fuel, seeds and fertilizer, and it depreciation equipment and labor. You should not operate at a loss. Now the rest of the field, they accumulate moisture, and in the spring we will sow spring crops, sunflower, safflower. These crops are more profitable in our area", — said the farmer Mikhail Sharonov.