National Bank of Ukraine estimates vegetable harvest losses after Kakhovka HPP disaster at 5%

MOSCOW. June 16 (Interfax) - The disaster at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is fraught with losses of 10-14% of the harvest of vegetable crops due to flooding or disruption of irrigation, but the National Bank of Ukraine has estimated this figure at 5%, National Bank of Ukraine Deputy Governor Sergei Nikolaichuk said.

"Overall, according to our estimates, about 10-14% of the total harvest of vegetables is at risk due to flooding and soil draining [in the affected areas]. However, in reality, our losses of the vegetable harvest are estimated a little lower, standing approximately at 5%, because the share of flooded areas in the [Kiev-]controlled territories is relatively low. Although it is clear that the crop yield in this area could decrease," Ukrainian media outlets quoted Nikolaichuk as saying at a briefing on Thursday.

The eggplant harvest is expected to be the most affected, 20% of it is at risk, he said.

"Cucumbers, watermelons, tomatoes, and peppers also make up quite a big amount of the harvest in the affected territories. As for carrots, the numbers are a little lower," he said.

In addition, there is a potential for compensating these losses by increasing production in other sectors and through imports, Nikolaichuk said.

The National Bank of Ukraine said on Thursday that it estimates the inflation growth at 0.3 percentage points this year following the Kakhovka HPP disaster. The bank's latest inflation forecast for this year was 14.8%.

According to the Ukrainian State Statistics Service, inflation in annual terms in Ukraine fell to 15.3% in May.