A punishing European drought is taking a heavy toll on crops across the continent, from potatoes in the Netherlands to corn in Bosnia and grapes in Italy. Farmers are among the hardest hit, with their crops set to be badly affected by soaring temperatures and lack of water.
Impact on Farmers
Maarten Janse, a farmer in the Netherlands, is trying to adapt to the drought by using no-till farming and adding organic matter to his soil. However, even these efforts are not enough to mitigate the effects of the drought. Another farmer, Hendrik Jan ten Cate, is expecting his harvest to be down by about one-third compared to average years.
In Bosnia, grain farmer Slavisa Lukic is struggling to grow corn due to repeated heat waves and drought conditions. He expects this year’s corn yield to be very poor, if he manages to harvest one at all.
Economic Impact
The drought is also having a significant economic impact. A Dutch bank estimates that the heatwaves and drought could reduce the European Union’s gross domestic product by 1% this year, which is around 180 billion euros.
The drought is affecting various industries, including beer production. Plzeňský Prazdroj, the Czech Republic’s largest beer producer, expects to incur losses this year due to a stunted hops yield.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
