Romania has been gripped by a drought, leaving farmers concerned in both the short and long term as the quality of their soil diminishes, meaning they can't plant crops in the new season.
ADVERTISEMENTRomanian farmers are struggling to work their land as drought grips their nation, creating worry around the quality of their soil both in the short term and in the coming years.
In Olt, in the southwest of Romania, farmers say that given the condition of the soil, they can’t even prepare it for autumn crops. They also say they are facing significant financial losses due to damage inflicted on their crops by the drought.
Farmers have requested substantial financial support from the Romanian Minister of Agriculture so that they can continue to tend the land. Some say this can even come in the form of a loan rather than a handout.
The Minister has promised them €200 per hectare in aid, but not until October.
In Olt, agricultural land has been left looking like rocky clods. Farmers say there isn’t a drop of water in the soil for it to be prepared for autumn crops, making it an "unusual" year. The soil is too dry to absorb fertilizer, and the dry roots of the spring crops are visible.
The farmers’ statements are supported by the findings of engineers from the Olt Office for Pedological and Agrochemical Studies, who say they haven’t found water in the soil even a metre below ground.
Normally, water should be found only a few centimetres below the surface.
Without money and with thousands of hectares they can’t harvest, farmers in southwestern Romania hope to receive help before the drought causes even more damage to their livelihoods.