Heat waves drought reduce EU crop yields

Unusually hot weather in July has significantly affected this year's crops productions in the European Union (EU), according to an updated analysis by the European Commission published on Friday.

The new analysis depicts a further reduction of crops compared to a previous analysis published at the end of June.

According to the new analysis, soft wheat productions are reduced by 4.0 percent compared to 2005, winter barley by 2.0 percent, grain maize by 5.1 percent, potato by 4.3 percent and sugar beet by 3.0 percent.

The total cereal production is expected to be about 9 million tons, a reduction of 3.6 percent compared to 2005's reduced yields.

In terms of production, Germany, Poland, Britain, France and Italy appear to be most affected. Compared to the 2003 drought, the geographic area affected by the yield reduction is greater, whereas the overall loss in production is less severe, said the commission, the executive body of the EU.

Frequent and persistent heat waves associated with dry conditions characterized the whole month of July in Europe.

At the same time, the drought and the heat stress phenomena moved northward through the continent affecting particularly those areas where the winter crops were still at their sensitive stage of ripening, said the commission.

Both in southern and in northern Europe, the spring-summer crops, in full vegetative to flowering phase, were suffering from the hot and dry weather conditions.

The unfavorable weather conditions also had an impact on water reservoirs, reducing the irrigation resources mainly for grain maize, sugar beet and potatoes, said the commission.

Source: Xinhua