The Grain Has Rot, There Is No Honey: Latvian Farmers Assess Losses After Record Rainy Summer

Photo: LETA

Overall in Latvia, especially in Vidzeme and Latgale, this year has already become the third consecutive unfavorable year for agriculture, with catastrophic consequences - industry losses exceeded 100 million euros, and only a small part of them will be compensated, writes Latvijas Avīze.

The year began with severe frosts in spring, which left many fruit orchards and berry plantations without a harvest, followed by a cold and rainy summer and autumn.

Last summer, which saw 272.6 mm of precipitation, was 22% wetter than the climatic norm for Latvia (222.6 mm). However, average figures only partially reflect reality: in Gulbene, for example, the summer was record wet - 414 mm of precipitation fell here, which is 88% above the norm. September was also disappointing - the amount of precipitation in mid-month was 66% above the norm.

Although such conditions are favorable for some crops, such as wheat, which was expected to have a good harvest, the constant rains during the harvest hindered combines from getting into the fields, and instead of the expected yield, farmers received flooded crops, sprouted grain, and enormous costs for drying it. In many regions, potato and vegetable crops also rotted. Due to excessive moisture, part of the fields remained unharvested, and more than three-quarters of the harvested crop was only suitable for animal feed. In some cases, the grain harvest was so poor that it was only fit for fuel.

Livestock breeders and beekeepers also suffered losses - the rainy summer significantly reduced honey collection: while beekeepers usually obtain 30-50 kg from one hive, this year it was about 5 kg. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, agricultural losses this year are estimated at 100.12 million euros, affecting 87.3 thousand hectares of sown areas, with 77.63 million euros attributed to grain crops and 22.5 million euros to fruit crops.

Against this backdrop, the amount of compensation allocated by the European Commission as part of emergency financial support for agriculture in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, and Romania, which were affected by adverse climatic conditions, seems inadequate. Latvia will be able to pay only 4.2 million euros to the most affected farms. This amount can be increased by a maximum of 200% if funds are added from the state budget - provided that they can be found.