Drought causes 30 million euros in vegetable crop losses

Drought has caused an estimated 30 million euros in damage to vegetable farming in Upper Austria, with some carrot crops completely lost despite repeated irrigation, broadcaster ORF reported.

Vegetable farmers in the Eferdinger Basin, a vegetable-growing region in Upper Austria, describe the situation as catastrophic. The prolonged heat has severely damaged crops, while major losses are expected for vegetables intended for storage.

Rain falling in the basin on Tuesday is unlikely to reverse the damage. Vegetable farmer Thomas Edlmüller from Hinzenbach said the rain had come too late to make up for the losses. Stefan Hamedinger, the vegetable farming representative at the Upper Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, said some fields were already being harvested even though they would normally be ready in September.

Farmers are increasingly having to choose between cutting down their crops or carrying out a minimal harvest, possibly with inferior quality, Hamedinger said.

Repeated irrigation has also failed to protect the crops. Farmer Gernot Angermeier from Pupping said his carrots had been watered eight times, every second day with 15 litres. When temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius, the first crop was scorched. After he replanted it at twice the seed cost and with twice the labour, the same damage occurred again.

Vegetable crops cannot be insured against drought. Hamedinger put the current overall damage to vegetable production in Upper Austria at 30 million euros, including 13 million euros in losses for potatoes.

Heat-damaged potatoes, cabbage heads that have barely developed, beetroot that should be five times larger at this stage and carrots that have died in the heat are among the affected crops. Edlmüller currently expects an 80 percent loss and said it could reach 100 percent.

Farmer Thomas Kraxenberger from Hartkirchen said the remaining produce would probably be sold directly from farms because retailers and pickled-vegetable producers require minimum sizes that this year’s crops are unlikely to meet.