Fields are ruined

Huge damage for many farmers

(Bild: Lauber/laumat.at Matthias)

The floods of the past few days have destroyed many fields and large parts of the harvest across the country. And this despite the fact that many farmers quickly harvested their fields after the initial forecasts - if that was possible. Drought and flooding made for a horror year for many farmers.

"In spring, everything looked like a record year, the sowing was very good. But then everything turned out differently," says Christian Lang, District Chairman of the Chamber of Agriculture in Perg. First, the persistent drought was extremely difficult for the farmers, and then came the floods. "We hoped for weeks that it would rain. And then it rains so much that it causes problems again," says Lang, like many of his colleagues, in despair.

Up to 90 percent flooded
The floods have been particularly severe in the district of Perg over the past few days. "Only a few buildings were affected, but up to 90 percent of some farmers' crops were flooded," says Lang. Some of the harvest, especially maize and soya, could still be saved because the thresher was used quickly due to the forecasts, but the sugar beet harvest is a total loss for many.

Humus layer is now gone
The masses of water have caused another problem: "The humus layer has been washed away from many fields, and that is the most important part of the field. It will take a very long time to rebuild it," says Lang.