Latvia announces a state of emergency throughout the country. “Completely destroyed harvest”

Due to heavy rainfall and flooded arable fields, as well as earlier spring frosts, which reduced crops or completely destroyed some of the collections, it was decided to introduce a state of emergency in agricultural and rural areas throughout the country – Prime Minister Evik Silin announced on Tuesday.

The state of emergency due to adverse weather conditions was introduced for a period of three months, until November 4.

– The goal is to support farmers and minimize crop losses – said the head of the Latvian government.

The adopted special regulations provide, among others, that the tax services will be able to withdraw from punishment of agricultural entrepreneurs for the lack of periodic payments. Farmers will also be able to apply for the postponement of loans repayment or a change in the loan repayment schedule without paying additional fees.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, cultivation and plantations in many places in Latvia have been flooded in recent months, and due to excessive soil moisture, machines often cannot reach the place, which delays or prevents to collect crops, leading to economic losses and in the quality of products. Farmers struggle, among others with rotting plantations of cereals, legumes or potatoes. In many places, sowy did not even start – it was emphasized.

Damage is also experienced by fruit growers, whose trees and fruit crops suffered first due to spring frosts, and then excessive rainfall. Adverse weather conditions also affected those farms that focus on animal farming.

– Long rainy periods occurring since May had a very negative impact on the agricultural sector in Latvia – admitted Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze.

According to data from the Latvian environment, geology and meteorology in the period from May to July, the amount of rainfall significantly exceeded the monthly norm (on average by several dozen percent above the scale), flooding agricultural land in the central and eastern part of the country.

Przemysław Molik (PAP)

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