The drought in Belgium is getting to extremes. It hasn't been this dry since 1976. Belgian farmers are anxiously waiting for precipitation. Not only arable farmers are affected by the drought, dairy farmers also see a disaster emerging.
The agricultural sector urgently needs rain. Where normally an average of 71 millimeters falls in the month of June, the meter now does not go further than 17,5 millimeters. The average precipitation from March to May is also much lower, 108 millimeters in 2017 compared to 187 millimeters normally.
Holes in the grass
The drought is first visible in the meadows. The grass is turning yellow and withered and holes are forming. The cows eat less of it because it is too dry. In addition, it is also much less nutritious and you can see that reflected in the number of liters of milk. 'You can see that the cows give significantly less milk due to the drought', according to the organization Fédération Wallonne de l'Agriculture (FWA).
Due to the poor grass, dairy farmers are forced to feed the winter stock. A considerable expense if feed has to be purchased again in the future. 'Food will soon be scarce, prices will rise and a sharply rising cost price is expected', according to the FWA.
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