Many fields in the country are suffering from drought
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Germany’s federal government may provide farmers with financial assistance as crops in the country struggle under drought conditions.
The German Farmers Association (DBV) estimated a grain yield of about 41 million tonnes in May. They recently decreased that estimate to about 36 million tonnes.
The organization approached the federal government for €1 billion in aid (US$1.17 billion) to offset the costs associated with lower yields and imported livestock feed.
But Germany’s agriculture minister wants to have as much information as possible before authorizing any sort of payment plan.
“It’s important that we have valid data, and not just individual estimates,” Julia Klöckner told local media yesterday, The Irish Times reported. “Farmers themselves do not know how their harvests will turn out.”
Farmers, however, feel waiting too long will only do more damage.
A lack of rain since April paired with more warm temperatures mean growers need the help now, said Joachim Rückwied, president of the DBV.
“The government needs to declare a state of emergency so that farmers in areas hit hardest by the drought can be helped directly with cash aid,” he said yesterday, Deutsche Welle reported.
German farmers aren’t the only in Europe experiencing drought conditions.
Producers in Finland and Denmark are also managing hot weather.
“To a single farmer this type of year is catastrophic, Max Schulman, a producer from Helsinki, Finland, told NBC News today. “We are a minority, but we play a big role in the economy and in your daily life.”
The drought in Denmark could cause the country’s ag industry to lose $944 million, Troels Toft, a representative with the Danish Agriculture and Food Council, told NBC News.
And some farmers may not be able to recover from the hot weather, he said.
“Some farmers will go bankrupt, that’s for sure,” he told NBC News. “If you had problems before the drought then this can be the push over the edge.”
Agence France-Presse photo