Dutch Crop tour weather - week 21
For the umpteenth time it has happened: drama in the fields
Heavy rain showers swept across our country last 70 hours, causing a lot of water on the plots for the umpteenth time this season. North Holland suffered the most water, but elsewhere in the country also received more than a monthly sum. In parts of Groningen and Friesland, more than XNUMX millimeters fell locally last Monday. Many plots were flooded and caused the affected arable farmers a lot of work and, above all, a lot of worry about loss of yield and financial damage.
There seems to be no end to the heavy rain and hail showers this growing season. The month of June has not yet arrived and in various regions of the country the heavy rain has influenced the sowing and planting time, the structure and the crops that are grown. It happened again last 24 hours, with heavy showers moving from the southeast to the northwest since Tuesday afternoon.
The most precipitation fell in the province of North Holland in Wieringermeer and Breezand, with up to 80 millimeters of rain falling locally. As a result, plots of land are once again under water. But elsewhere in the country, such as the east and center of the Netherlands, it is again soaking wet. In Eethen, North Brabant, 65 millimeters fell, potato grower Jacob Branderhorst said. The peak rainfall can be clearly seen via the AgroExact weather station (image below). In Leuth (Gelderland) 44 millimeters fell at potato grower Wouter Vierboom, while not far away on the Gewastour plot in Elst 30 millimeters fell. Also in Southern Flevoland, about 30 millimeters fell at onion grower Jan Berend Biesheuvel in Zeewolde.
The south has received the most water on average so far this growing season, but according to some crop tour growers, the precipitation is not as bad as yesterday's previous weather forecast. For example, almost 1 millimeters of precipitation has fallen in Philippine Zeeland since January 450. The fewest millimeters fell last night in the far north and northeast, but that was different the day before.
Locally 90 millimeters
The heavy and frequent rain showers, which covered almost the entire country, come a day after the northwest of Groningen and part of Friesland were hit by heavy and prolonged rain showers. Locally, between 60 and 90 millimeters even fell in the border area between Friesland and Groningen, a region with a lot of arable farming (also visible on the precipitation map). Many recently planted potato plots have had water between the ridges for a longer period of time and the soil is completely saturated and, depending on the soil type, has softened. Plots of sugar beet, seed onions and other young crops have also suffered significant damage. The same applies to the various regions that had a lot of water last XNUMX hours. It is difficult to say what the total damage will be, it is still too early for that.
the day after
— Kor Berghuis (@KorBerghuis) May 21, 2024
Most of the water has disappeared, but the soil is saturated. Potato ridges completely washed away. Onion and sugar beet plots are closed. #harvest24. In just over an hour the crops have taken quite a beating. Wait and see what the damage is. #sad pic.twitter.com/sHftjmc7SN
Jesse Torringa
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