The Lithuanian government declared a nationwide state of emergency on July 4 because of drought that is expected to hit this year’s crops severely.
Vilnius will seek to ensure Lithuanian farmers will not face sanctions from the European Commission over failing to meet production obligations linked to EU’s agricultural subsidies.
The Lithuanian ministry of agriculture estimates that between 15% to even as much as 50% of crops could be lost to drought, depending on a region.
The current drought continues a series of weather-induced problems for the Lithuanian agriculture. The Baltic state’s agricultural sector suffered from excessive rain that damaged crops ahead of harvest last year.
Extreme weather is expected to affect the EU agriculture in the 2018/2019 season, according to the Commission’s “Short-term outlook for EU agricultural markets,” released on July 5.
A rain deficit is expected to occur across the Baltic states, northern parts of Poland, Germany, Denmark and the southern regions of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Those regions will also suffer from heat waves, the report said. Excessive rain is in turn forecast to affect much of Spain, France, and Italy.
Related Articles
Eurozone manufacturing growth hits four-year high in April but Middle East war drives record price surge
Eurozone manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace in nearly four years in April as factories rushed to build safety stocks ahead of expected price rises and supply shortages linked to the ... more
Taiwan honours visiting Lithuanian MP
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has awarded the “Goodwill Diplomacy Medal” to Dovilė Šakalienė, a member of Lithuania’s parliament and former defence minister, in recognition of ... more
Russian GRU parcel bomb plot traced to Estonia
Estonian authorities are considering whether to extradite two residents accused of helping Russian military intelligence (GRU) operatives send parcel bombs that nearly caused major air disasters ... more