HØNEFOSS (Aftenposten): Tore Strande has no illusions that it will be easier to be a farmer in Norway in the future.
From left: Teodor Gjerde and Tore Strande are both affected by the flood. Photo: Olav Olsen
sea view
Published: 12/08/2023
Updated: 12/08/2023 08:12
There will probably not be much sleep in the coming nights at Tore Strande. He is a farmer in Hønefoss.
– Tonight I probably have to go down every two hours to make sure that the water pump is running and that the embankments don’t start to burst, he tells Aftenposten late on Friday evening. He has just refueled at an empty pump.
Of the 1,000 targets he has, around 250 are under water.
– There is not a single straw that sticks out. Here, I probably just want to plow down the areas, he says when he looks out over the nearest fields.
Strande believes that other fields, which are still above water, will be classified as food wheat for fodder grains.
– Then the earnings in that area will be roughly half of what it should have been.
Actually, the land should have been used to grow grain.
– The work put in in these areas from March until now in August is for nothing. I am excited to see how big the loss will be. There are, after all, compensation schemes. But I’m excited about how that scheme works, I haven’t used it in my years as a driver.
The pumps must be filled with petrol if they are to get rid of the water. Photo: Olav Olsen
sea view
There will be enough food for next year
At the highest point, the water is somewhere between 170 and 200 centimeters. On average, there is a height of 10–30 cm.
– There will probably be some injuries. Further up the valleys, the water takes the topsoil with it. I won’t let that down here, so I will probably be able to produce food in the areas here until next year, he says.
This assumes that the water is not contaminated by, for example, oil or sewage.
– But it’s not something I can afford to be very worried about now. We can’t do anything about it anyway, he says.
– Wilder, wetter and drier
When Strande looks ahead in time to the weather outlook, he is not very optimistic.
– I think it gets wilder, wetter and drier when it doesn’t fit.
In the spring and in June it was completely dry. Then Strande made sure to water frequently. Then came some rain in July. In August it has been far too wet.
– I have few illusions that it will be that much easier.
He believes a solution could be to build more permanent embankments against the flood-prone lands. Or not have the valuable production in the flood-prone areas.
– It is important in the future to have well-drained soils so that the rain that comes runs out of the fields as quickly as possible.
In addition, he believes that more people should protect themselves against droughts by building irrigation systems.
– These are expensive measures that agriculture does not have the financial muscle to manage on its own. But if the goal of increased self-sufficiency is real, it is difficult to see alternatives to such measures. Take care of the farmer, and we’ll take care of you, says Strande.
In the background you can see how the water has penetrated the field area. Photo: Olav Olsen
sea view
Thousands of messages
According to NTB, insurance companies have so far registered 5,500 claims. This applies to buildings, contents and land.
A preliminary estimate of these damages is NOK 1.3 billion, according to the Norwegian Natural Damage Pool.
These calculations do not include damage to roads and other infrastructure, reports Finans Norge.
– We’ll see how it turns out. I’m not sure how well the insurance works, says Strande.
Agriculture must be profitable
– Food can be produced more cheaply in other countries than in Norway, and we can buy cheaper food on the world market. But food prices reflect the purchasing power of the country where the food is sold – rather than the cost of production. As long as the purchasing power of Norwegians is relatively high, it is not certain that imported food will be that much cheaper. As a nation, we have simply lost the ability, in whole or in part, to produce our own food, says Strande.
Nevertheless, the farmer is clear that Norway must have food production in its own country. It is crucial for preparedness, he believes:
– If an entire industry is shut down in a country, it is not just a matter of starting it up when you need it. Yes, we can import. But what happens on the day we can’t?
2023-08-12 05:15:00
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