Showers don't help against extreme drought

It splashes here and there. In some places, more than 5 mm of rain fell last weekend. Also next weekend there is a chance of 5 to 10 mm of rain, especially in the south and east of the Netherlands. So plenty of irrigation, because much more than a few millimeters of water evaporates every week.

The calculated precipitation deficit, which has been published by the KNMI since 1 April, therefore looks like this:

Never before has spring started so dry. Maurits von Martels, Member of Parliament of the CDA, is concerned about the record dry start of the growing season.

Of course it makes a big difference on what type of soil you farm. On the clay soils in the coastal areas, the winter was often much wetter than in most sandy areas. Moreover, the sandy soils dry out much faster, because they warm up faster and the surface water is often drained faster due to height differences than on the clay soils in the coastal areas.

Dust and Irrigation
Never before has so much dust been blown into the air during agricultural work that the past week - perhaps in combination with the arrival of the Sahara - clearly visibly whirled down in the cities.

Making a good seedbed is only possible on many clay soils by irrigating.

Even if, contrary to expectations, more than 5 to 10 mm of rain falls next weekend, not only in Belgium, but also in the Netherlands, the precipitation deficit will continue to rise. After all, several tens of millimeters of water evaporates every week. That is likely to be the case next week, despite expected normal temperatures for the time of year. Especially when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing hard.

© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.