In the occupied Crimea, a prolonged drought, aggravated by the heat, is causing huge damage to local farmers and villagers, UNN reports with reference to Krym.Realii.
According to the publication, the drought is so severe that even drought-resistant crops are suffering.
"The drought has affected grain yields. But many other crops have been hit much harder, some legume fields have been abandoned because there is no harvest, for example, a field of peas near Belogorsk. What can I say if even drought-resistant fields of essential oil crops are drying up? This hasn't happened for a long time. With no water for irrigation, drought is becoming a terrible scourge for Crimean farmers," a farmer from Belogorsk district, whose name is not disclosed for security reasons, told Krym.Realii .
Under the current circumstances, many farmers are refusing to run personal subsidiary plots.
"Everything has dried up, there were few strawberries this year, and the wild berry glades have burned out from the heat, there are stone fruits, but they are small. Because of the heat and drought, there is no green grass, only dry grass, and milk yields have dropped sharply. There will be no hayfields in such conditions, which means that they will have to buy hay at high prices, if it is available at all. In such circumstances, villagers are beginning to reduce the number of livestock and abandon vegetable gardens. In many villages, the water pressure in the system is already low, as water consumption is in excess of the norm. I think we will soon start to see water cut-offs, and there will be a big problem with water in Crimea this summer," the farmer said.
Add
In Crimea, the situation with water bodies continues to deteriorate due to the ongoing drought and high temperatures. Some small rivers have already dried up, while larger ones are on the verge of drying up.