Crops were damaged in 46 municipalities across the country, mostly in the Šiauliai County, as well as in the Kaunas, Marijampolė, and Panevėžys regions. Most reports of hail damage were received from the Joniškis, Šakiai, Kėdainiai, Kaunas, and Vilkaviškis districts.
“Since July 5, we have received more than 1243 reports of storms, heavy rains, hail, and related crop damage. Damage assessment experts have had to inspect more than 6.5 thousand fields. Today, we could not single out any region of Lithuania as safe – extreme phenomena have affected practically the entire country this year,” reveals Dr. Martynas Rusteika, head of the crop mutual insurance fund “VH Lietuva.”
Heavy rain and storm damaged cereal crops, hail – vegetables, especially onions
Currently, more than 66 thousand hectares of crops are damaged. The largest share consists of cereals – about 56 thousand ha, rapeseed – about 5.5 thousand ha, legumes – more than 2.2 thousand ha, and corn, potatoes, sugar beets, seed crops, and vegetables have also been affected. Thus, all major sectors of Lithuanian crop production have suffered losses. This is one of the largest areas of damaged crops registered at once this growing season.
“In July, most reports were received due to the consequences of heavy rains and storms – lodging of cereals, especially winter wheat and spring barley crops. In recent days, hail damage in rapeseed fields has increased. By plant groups, the highest percentage of losses is in hail-damaged onion fields,” says M. Rusteika.
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This year, throughout the entire growing season, the crop mutual insurance fund “VH Lietuva” has already registered damage caused by frost, cold snaps, heavy rains, storms, hail, extreme drought, and prolonged rainy periods. This means that for the fifth consecutive year, all natural meteorological risks have occurred in Lithuania, against which crops can now be insured.
The new reality of agriculture
“Each harvest year has its own peculiarities. As long as the harvest is not in the barns, every day and hour can reduce the yield and increase losses. Some years, the greatest losses are caused by frost or cold snaps, other years – by summer meteorological phenomena. This year, heavy rains, storms, and hail have become the main challenge for many crop farms. The extent of cereal lodging is much greater than in usual years. Climate fluctuations are no longer an exception but the new reality of agriculture,” says M. Rusteika from experience.
He adds that the true economic impact caused by meteorological phenomena will become clear as the harvest progresses. Today, the most important task is to assess the losses as quickly as possible and help farmers by paying insurance claims, thus reducing losses.
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