Tomorrow, Agriculture and Food Minister Sandra Borch will meet the professional associations in agriculture to discuss the drought situation in several places in the country. Even before the meeting, there is one thing both the minister and the farmers are hoping for: Rain. Much rain. – We need a proper change of weather, says Einar Kiserud to news. DROUGHT: – The only thing that keeps the plants alive here is the moisture stored in the roots, says farmer Einar Kiserud. Photo: Camilla Alexandra Lie / news He is a dairy farmer in Spydeberg in Østfold. A week and a half ago he harvested grass for his cows. The next harvest may be far worse. – There should have been a green carpet here. The yellow color is a sign that it is starting to dry. The way it looks now, there will be practically nothing, he says to news. Losing money The drought in southern and eastern Norway has lasted for several weeks. The meteorologists say that the last period has been exceptionally dry with much less rainfall than normal. This year’s summer could be as bad as the disaster year 2018 if the rain doesn’t come. Five years ago, large areas of land in Eastern Norway were completely fallow. Several farmers had to send animals to slaughter because animal fodder and grain production disappeared. Kiserud says that what he and other farmers in Eastern and Southern Norway need now is a proper root weed. Some precipitation is expected in the next few days, but the Eastfolding fears it will not be enough. – If it gets 10 millimetres, every day for a whole week, then it starts to help. There is so much that needs to be done. There must be a real change of weather, he says. For Kiserud, it may be appropriate to use part of the grain crops to feed the dairy cows through the winter, since the grass he usually uses dries up. Another option is to buy feed from other producers. The drought could end up costing him several hundred thousand kroner. – It will be a significant loss, he says to news. Happy to meet On Sunday afternoon there were a few small raindrops in the air in Spydeberg. – The drops that come now will only tease the farmers, says Bjørn Gimming. He is the leader of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association. Tomorrow, the subject leaders in agriculture have been summoned to a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Food. The most important thing politicians can do now is to make it possible for farmers to take steps to ensure winter fodder, Gimming believes. SERIOUS: Leader of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association, Bjørn Gimming, says that the situation is special and serious. Photo: Camilla Alexandra Lie / news – This is a special situation. The administration of grant systems must not add any further stones to the burden, he says to news. He believes the drought situation in 2023 is more nuanced than in 2018. Gimming is happy that the meeting is coming now, while the drought is ongoing. – Now it is important that the ministry and the minister follow the situation that is about to develop in Eastern Norway. We are in a new severe drought situation which will hit many farmers very hard, he says. FOOD FOR THE WINTER: If it doesn’t rain soon, he fears that the winter feed for his animals will. Photo: Camilla Alexandra Lie / news Concerned – Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather politically. We are now hoping for some rain next week. If that doesn’t happen, then it looks fairly dry, and that worries me as Minister of Agriculture, says Sandra Borch to news. The minister cannot promise rain, but says the most important thing they can offer the farmers is the experience and measures taken after the drought five years ago. – The most important measure we have, and which just takes the financial burden, is the production failure scheme which is in place from 2018. Those schemes can also be developed further, she says to news.
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Fears a new drought disaster – the Minister of Agriculture is concerned – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
