The dry and warm weather of the end of April and the beginning could also, if it continues, affect spring crops, such as sunflowers, beets and corn, as well as fodder.
Le Monde with AFP
After a month of April “in deficit of 25 % rainfall”, fifteen departments are today in a situation of “vigilance” or “alert” in France, a situation which “will have an impact on production Cereals “even if it” is still far too early to have a specific assessment, “the Ministries of Agriculture and the Ecological Transition said on Monday May 9.
“Winter cultures, such as wheat or barley, which are today in development phase, are starting to know situations that will affect yields,” it was said to the Ministry of the ‘agriculture.
The dry and warm weather of the end of April and the beginning could also, if it continues, affect spring crops, such as sunflowers, beets and corn, as well as fodder, while Herbs shoots – which have so far been rather better than usual – slow down.
At the end of meetings with water agencies and professionals in the agricultural world, the ministries notably announced that the “third agricultural revolution” window, opened in April to help farmers cope with climate change And initially endowed with 20 million euros, would be equipped with “additional 20 million”.
Furthermore, due to the risk of drought this summer, the government announced at the end of April that water agencies could spend an additional 100 million euros to help agricultural sectors adapt to Climate change or create water deductions, a measure disputed by ecological associations and certain peasants’ union organizations.
Already, fifteen departments are subject to restrictions which range from incitement to water savings (vigilance stage) to the ban on watering or fields at certain times (alert ), being able to reduce 50 % of water withdrawals for agricultural purposes or to the total ban on water samples to wash your car or water green spaces (reinforced alert).
These measures are taken as the situation evolves at the departmental level by the prefects, the role of which has been strengthened to bring the local consultation approaches to the “territory projects for the” territorial projects water management “(PTGE). In France, 5 % of agricultural areas are irrigated, or nearly 1.4 million hectares. The rate rises to 14 % in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.