Summary of the case – Peter Knutsen from Alta grows tobacco to be used for snuff, despite the short growing season in Finnmark. – The growing season in Finnmark has increased by two weeks in the last 30 years, and is expected to increase by one month by 2050. – Sivert Krudtå in Alta has also noticed the climate changes by being able to grow apples in his garden. – Climate researcher Reidun Gangstø says that even if it gets warmer, the light conditions do not change, something that can affect the growing conditions. – Gangstø opens up that it will be possible to grow more heat-loving species in the north going forward, but underlines how important it is to reduce emissions in order to reduce negative changes. (the summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality-assured by news’s journalists before publication) Finnmark is known for its long and harsh winter season, and short summers that result in a shorter growing season than in the south. That does not stop Peter Knutsen from Alta from growing tobacco that will be used for snuff. – It seems like it’s a fun invention that it grows here. When people think of tobacco plants, they think of South America, says Knutsen. According to climate researcher at the Meteorological Institute, Reidun Gangstø, the growing season has increased in Finnmark by around two weeks in the last 30 years. The season will be able to increase by one month until 2050. – It is expected that the growing season will increase by one month towards the middle of the century, and then the season may be two to three months longer towards the end of the century, explains Gangstø. Go all out The sun shines over the rows of tobacco plants at Heimdal farm in Alta. Hobby gardener Knutsen has been allowed to borrow land for tobacco cultivation. It will become snuff. – This year there will be 400 plants. Now my wife and I run and build a greenhouse to store the plants. And maybe the wife will have room for some flowers in addition. Last year, Knutsen chose to grow his own raw tobacco for snuff, but a frosty night damaged his crop. – There were 4.5 kilos of finished snus. Even though last year didn’t produce that much, Knutsen has great faith in this year’s crop. – I reckon we will get 35 kilos. It’s fun to keep going. We’re all in. I have five children with me to set out plants. The leaves from the tobacco plants are collected in autumn. After a longer process, they will become snuff. Photo: Thomas Bergvoll Alstad / news More challenges in the north What does this have to do with climate change? Knutsen himself cannot say whether there is a direct connection, but says that there has been tobacco cultivation in Norway since the 17th century. – I don’t know how far north tobacco has been grown, but there aren’t that many of them in Alta. We try and it grows, says Knutsen. Knutsen knows that tobacco has been grown in Norway for several years. The tobacco plant Rustica grows well with him, while the other two varieties he has, Burley and Virginia, are more challenging to grow in cold climates. Photo: Thomas Bergvoll Alstad / news He highlights lighting conditions as one of the biggest advantages, but that it is not enough. – We have a very short growth period up here, compared to the south. They can put it out there in March. While we only have three months to go. Surprising Eli Kari It’s not just Knutsen who has grown crops that you might not want to believe grow in Alta or Finnmark. Sivert Krudtå got attention last year for having sent half a kilo of apples to Eli Kari Gjengedal on TV 2 after a discussion about exactly that. – She didn’t believe it, and I understand that. But I promised to send her a package of apples, and I did. So she got a surprise, says Krudtå. But he didn’t believe it himself when a friend got himself an apple tree ten or eleven years ago. – I said to him “Are you crazy, man? Apple in Alta?!” But then a few years passed and I found out that I can also try, says Krudtå. Sivert Krudtå from Alta is one of several who have had an apple in their garden. Behind him, the apple tree is full of blossoms. Photo: Thomas Bergvoll Alstad / news Has noticed a change Krudtå is absolutely certain that climate change is the reason why he gets apples in the garden. – I think we will probably get Oslo temperatures in 10-20 years, he says. Climate researcher at the Meteorological Institute, Reidun Gangstø explains that it takes a little longer before the climate in Finnmark and Oslo can become comparable. – When it comes to the cultivation conditions in Alta, you cannot compare them with the fruit area in Hardanger. We have a shorter growing season in the north, and there are more frequent frosts and a longer winter. So it is more difficult to get good crops there, says Gangstø. Reidun Gangstø, climate researcher at the Meteorological Institute, says that it is unusual to be able to grow apples this far north. Photo: Helge Tvedten / news She explains that the growing period in Alta and Finnmark has increased by two weeks in the last 30 years. And that he will increase more in the future. Not necessarily better conditions Gangstø also points out that even though it gets warmer in the autumn, the light conditions do not change, so the weather conditions do not necessarily get better in the autumn. Warmer autumns and more autumn rainfall can also affect how hard the plants become before winter comes. The heat will also present another challenge for those who cultivate in the north. – There is a greater risk of torrential rain, which can damage both crops and infrastructure and cause more erosion and runoff. And then it increases the risk of landslides and avalanches, says Gangstø. Last year, several fruit farmers in Hardanger were hit by a severe storm which damaged the crops. The climate scientist opens up that there will be opportunities to cultivate more heat-loving species in the north also in the future, but also says that one should try to reduce emissions in order to reduce the negative changes. Norway aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. If all the planned measures take place, we will achieve a 55 per cent cut in national greenhouse gas emissions in 2033. I hope there will be some Back in Krudtå’s garden, apple trees are in full bloom. But it is too early to say anything about how many apples will come. – We can hope that there will be a few kilos. It looks promising, says Krudtå. He already has plans for some of the apples. – I will send them to Eli Kari. I promised her that, and I will keep it. Krudtå hopes there will be a lot of fruit this year too. Photo: Thomas Bergvoll Alstad / news Published 27.06.2024, at 20.52
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Climate change makes it possible to grow snuff and apple in Finnmark – news Troms and Finnmark
