Dec 27, 2023 at 1:33 PM Update: an hour ago
The increased water level is causing nuisance in various parts of the country. Farmers are very concerned about the consequences of the high water. The harvest of potatoes and sugar beets in particular is at risk.
Many plots are now completely empty, says a spokesperson for ZLTO, an association for farmers and gardeners. Harm de Boer, arable farming advisor in Central Drenthe, Southeast Friesland and the Polder Giethoorn, even speaks of the “worst conditions for harvesting in the last 25 years”.
Due to the heavy rainfall recently, storm Pia and bad weather in Germany, the water level is very high in various parts of the country. That has been a problem for Dutch crops for some time. The potatoes should all have been harvested a long time ago, but in many cases this has not yet happened due to the bad weather.
According to De Boer, 5 percent of the potatoes and 20 percent of the sugar beets are still in the ground. In addition, the costs of harvesting are a lot higher due to the current circumstances. This is because it is more difficult to remove sugar beets and potatoes from the ground after they have been under water for so long.
It is not yet possible to say what consequences the extremely wet autumn will have for the quality of the crops.
Image: anp
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Economiewateroverlast
2023-12-27 12:33:38
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