Agriculture - Farmers hope for harvest on dry weather
The harvest of barley in Schleswig-Holstein has begun sporadically. The spokesperson of the Chamber of Agriculture, Daniela Rixen, told the dpa that due to regional differences, only a few combine harvesters have been in use so far, because of the many rainfalls.
The vegetation advance in this spring did not lead to an early harvest start. The harvest began at a normal time for Schleswig-Holstein in mid-July. Only in the southern parts of the state have some areas of winter barley been cleared. In many places, there have been test runs, but they were interrupted due to excessive moisture in the grain.
According to Rixen, it is too early to say much about yields and quality at this stage of the harvest. The barley crops are ripening from south to north. If the weather allows, the grain harvest will take place nationwide over the weekend. What farmers in Schleswig-Holstein need now, Rixen emphasized, is dry and stable weather.
Further rain announced
However, the weather forecast predicts further rain, so a stalling harvest start is to be expected. Summer thunderstorms have already made some fields barely drivable in certain regions. There are also reports of so-called storage grain, i.e. fields where the rain has bent the grain plants. This causes problems for the harvest and a lower yield.
The fruits sown this year, such as oats, spring barley, corn, and beets, could benefit from the wet weather according to Rixen. However, the rain causes problems, for example with potatoes.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, farmers in Rendsburg, a region in Schleswig-Holstein, are eagerly awaiting the right conditions to commence their harvest of spring barley. The agricultural landscape of Schleswig-Holstein has traditionally been strong in agriculture, contributing significantly to the region's economy.
