Czech Rep: Draught hits local farming causing losses of nearly half billion euro

6 November 2018 — Daniela GHETU
While other European countries have experienced heavy rains causing severe flooding episodes, the Czech Republic is challenged by one of the worst droughts in its recent history, causing losses of over CZK 12 billion (~EUR 473 million) to the local farmers.

The lack of rain combined with one of the hottest summers in Central European history have caused significant losses for farmers. This year's drought in central and northern Europe is the worst in recent memory for the region, according to The Guardian. Prolonged droughts affect agriculture, biodiversity, forestry, energy production, tourism, and of course, the general availability of water resources.

The economic impacts of drought are both direct, such as farmers losing money because their crops were destroyed by drought or they had to install new irrigation system, or ranchers forced to spend more money to feed their animals and maintain their stalls, and indirect, as seen by increases in the price of bread and cheese, wrote the Czech journal Brno Daily.

According to the spokesman for the Agricultural Chamber of the Czech Republic, this year's drought has caused damage to crops of up to CZK 12 billion. Among others, the grain harvest has suffered immensely this year. According to estimates from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), the grain harvest this year is 7.9% lower than the previous year. Harvests of potatoes, sugar beet, and peas have also deteriorated this year. Furthermore, the harvest of poppy seed, an essential ingredient in baking, has seen a drop of almost a third.

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