This summer, the problem has loomed large for the carrot farmers at Smøla in Nordmøre. In a good year, there are around 2,500 tonnes of carrots in the soil here, but this year the season can be delayed. It has rained more than twice as much as normal in July. 128 millimeters of rain is about to stick sticks in the wheel. – It is the worst summer in living memory, says carrot farmer Ole Wegard Gjøstøl Iversen. May lose income The field till Iversen is planted in a bog. Usually this provides optimal conditions for carrots, but this year everything is going wrong. His soaking wet field does not tolerate the weight of machines. If the carrots are not harvested in two weeks, they may be too big. – Then it becomes an unripe product, and cannot be sold as human food. In the worst case, I don’t get paid at all, says Iversen. Think time is running out But the weather forecast doesn’t seem to be cooperating. He needs heat for the soil to dry, not rain that keeps the soil moist. If it doesn’t stop raining, he is considering harvesting 300 tonnes of carrots by hand. Then he has to hire people. – It is not possible to get hold of Norwegian labour. Foreign workers need visas and I don’t think the paperwork will be ready in time. In addition, it will cost more to pay workers than to use machines. Ole Wegard Gjøstøl Iversen fights both against time and the rain to save the crop. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news Damaged carrots As if that were not enough, the carrot is also not as it should be. Among other things, the carrot is white on the tip. – It’s bad for storage and it doesn’t look good. It worries me, says Iversen. The carrot is not optimal. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news – Could be the last straw The Farmers’ Association has received reports from food producers from the Westland coast and all the way to Finnmark that tell of a lot of rain and trouble with the crops. – What is in the soil now is the basis for their production throughout the year. There is no doubt that this can have major financial consequences, says Bodhild Fjelltveit, 2nd deputy leader of the Norwegian Farmers’ Association. – When it becomes as demanding as this, and at the same time you get even more costs that Iversen risks, then this can quickly be the final straw. – Do everything you can Ole Wegard Gjøstøl Iversen in Smøla has no intention of giving up. This summer he found buckets and got two to help him fertilize the huge field by hand. – We have continued with the field since last year and spent a lot of time and energy. Then you do everything you can. Never before has there been so much water in the field as this year. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news
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The field fails – risks having to harvest 300 tonnes of carrots by hand
