Latvia‘s Ministry of Agriculture has indefinitely extended the deadline for farmers to submit applications for financial aid due to flooded agricultural land. This decision comes as unpredictable and inclement weather conditions persist, wiht heavy rains continuing even as august approaches.
According to weather forecasts, heavy rains will continue in Latvia in the coming days, coinciding with the traditional harvest season. Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze stated, “This is a very difficult summer for Latvian farmers.Since the second half of spring, rains have continued, flooding agricultural lands in many regions and creating serious problems for farmers – the harvest and the financial stability of farms are at risk. The grain and rapeseed harvest promised to be good in many places, now it is harvest time, but it is impractical for combines and other agricultural machinery to enter the inundated fields – the machinery will simply sink in the mud.”
Krauze emphasized the severity of the situation, noting, “If the crop cannot be harvested, this will be the third year in a row with heavy losses for farmers.This is a real crisis that cannot be ignored.”
Farmers are encouraged to continue providing the Rural Support Service (LAD) with details about affected territories, including the size of the areas and crops impacted by adverse conditions.
The Ministry of agriculture has alerted the European Commission to the challenging situation in Latvian agriculture caused by the prolonged rains and has requested compensation for affected farmers from the European Union budget. Meanwhile, other parts of Europe are experiencing prolonged drought conditions.
The previous deadline for reporting rain-flooded agricultural land was Thursday, July 31. By July 10, the LAD had already received applications for damage caused by frost and rain affecting over 50,000 hectares. Preliminary losses were previously estimated at almost 64 million euros. The latest data on damages will be compiled on August 5.
This article provides information on agricultural aid and weather impacts. it does not constitute financial or legal advice.
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