Saarbrücken City: - Agriculturists impacted by inundation mishaps.
The severe flooding that hit Saarland recently has taken a heavy toll on the agricultural sector as well. According to Matthias Weber, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, significant damage has been done to grasslands and maize crops.
Erhard Ecker, President of the Saarland Chamber of Agriculture, fears that more than 300 of the approximately 1100 farming businesses will be impacted by the destruction. This includes himself and his farm in Rehlingen-Siersburg, who anticipated harvesting early potatoes within three weeks — but now he faces ruined crops and no yield. It will take at least 14 days before new plants can be put into the ground, and by then, it'll likely be too late due to insufficient supplies.
Potato, strawberry, and asparagus farmers suffer significant losses, along with those planning to harvest hay in the near future. The latter group experiences major setbacks due to flooded grassland areas that are now thoroughly contaminated with heating oil, sewage treatment plant waste, sand, and soil. This contaminated grass, in turn, can't be used as animal feed or accepted by biogas plants. Right now, farmers have no choice but to dispose of the damaged grass as it rots, leaving them without the option to use it as fertilizer.
As farmers struggle with the aftermath of the calamity, they're looking to the state government for financial support and flexibility with agricultural rules and nature conservation measures. Alexander Welsch, Managing Director of the Saar Farmers' Association, said that some farms must be given the freedom to make their own decisions about compensation methods. However, he also notes that damages are significant for most involved.
So far, the state government, under the guidance of Matthias Weber, has been receptive to helping farmers in any way they can. They're committed to relaxing management rules for mowing times on agricultural land in existing protected areas and will be ready to consider their specific needs.
Farmers who've lost their hay harvest are not the only ones struggling with consequences of the floods. Others producing fruits and vegetables find that their contaminated crops can't be sold to retailers. Welsch confirms that strawberries are often too damaged to be consumed.
Fortunately, animal owners seem to have been largely spared from the chaos. Erhard Ecker mentions that no incidents of drowned livestock have been reported, although some farms have had to evacuate their rabbits and donkeys from flooded areas.
It's still challenging to determine the overall financial impact of the floods on agriculture in this region. Until a comprehensive damage assessment is completed, providing accurate estimates will be nearly impossible. Weber acknowledges the impossibility of presently arriving at valid figures.
However, it's crucial to understand that monetary damage is not the sole concern. The inability to work the land, limited time windows for sowing and crop protection, and high slug pressure contribute to an overall somber mood among those farmers affected by the devastating floods. The prolonged rainfall of the recent months and weeks has already tightened the time frame for fieldwork, making a difficult situation even more challenging.
The head of the Saar Farmers' Association, Ecker, described the situation as a usual event, where streams overflow their banks. "This happens often," he remarked, "but the timing is what makes it problematic - it's not supposed to happen in May during the growing season." However, he urged for a fair and realistic assessment of the situation. "In cities, the water levels were even worse than here," he stressed. Regardless, he considered it a fortunate event: "If such heavy rainfall had occurred in a short span of time like in the Ahr Valley, our damages would've been much more severe."
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Source: www.stern.de