Farmers in Dachau fight with floods and plague of crow

Farmers in Dachau fight with floods and plague of crow

The weather conditions in the Dachau district are currently strongly creating farmers. With floods in June and unstable weather, which has severely affected the harvest, many companies are in a critical situation. Nevertheless, there are farmers who remain optimistic despite these difficulties. Potato farmer Andreas Kraut from Neuhimmelreich does not give up hope of a good harvest, despite the adverse circumstances.

The Dachau district chairman of the Bavarian Farmers' Association (BBV), Simon Sedlmair, describes the situation as "extremely bad". The floors are softened, which means that farmers hardly have time to manage their fields. Permanent rain has worsened the harvesting conditions in such a way that the combine harvesters can often not be used while the sun is missing to dry the floors.

growing difficulties due to changeable weather conditions

The capsilies of weather are not only a challenge for the current crop yields, but they also have long -term effects on the quality of the grain. After years that were characterized by extreme heat and drought, the current wetness is even more harmful to the harvest, says Sedlmair. "This weather is worse than any drought," he explains. Due to the wet conditions, many farmers can neither fertilize nor the necessary care measures, which ultimately leads to an increased fungal and pest infestation.

The quality of the wheat has suffered greatly; It is not uncommon not even to make bread. Instead, the grain is often only used as feed, which is an unpleasant reality for the farmers. To make matters worse, cereal prices are also in a descent, which further exacerbates the economic situation. "A harvest needs light and drought, which we have hardly had in the past few months," adds Sedlmair frustrated.

a glimmer of hope: positive yields in rapeseed and corn

After all, there is also positive news: the rapeseed has brought good yields this year and offers farmers a bright spot in the middle of the harvest crisis. Sedlmair emphasizes that the corn in the less flooded areas has also grown satisfactorily. "Where the ground was not under water, the corn developed well," he explains with a certain relief that resonates in his otherwise cloudy report.

The potential for potato could suffer greatly from the rain, especially with regard to the durability of the tubers. "The herb rot spreads because we have difficulty injecting and protecting our fields," complains a farmer from Puckschlagen. This disease could have serious consequences for harvesting because it makes the tubers inedible.

In addition to the bad weather conditions, the farmers in the district also have to struggle with an increase in crows that consume fresh seeds in the fields. This means that some farmers are forced to sow their fields several times, which binds further resources and reinforces despair among the farmers. "The frustration is great," says Sedlmair and describes the deep concern that prevails in agriculture.

During this time of change, characterized by extreme weather events and challenges, which may never have been so clear before, the farmers have no choice but to hope that the conditions will stabilize next year. Simon Sedlmair expresses it aptly: "A bit of normality would be nice." In agriculture, this not only means better harvests, but also a bit the return to the usual, more stable times.