Agriculture - Not a good grain harvest: rain causes problems for farmers
The rain threatens to disrupt the harvest of North Rhine-Westphalia's farmers. The forecast for this year is modest, with below-average yields reported for already harvested areas, according to the Agriculture Chamber of North Rhine-Westfalia in Düsseldorf.
This is mainly due to the fact that arable land was not accessible due to heavy rainfall in the autumn and spring periods: This delayed the sowing and later, fertilization and maintenance measures had to be postponed. Winter barley, with its sensitive root system, did not develop well due to the moisture in the soil and the few hours of sunshine in the spring.
After the winter barley, other grain varieties will be harvested in the coming weeks, including wheat and rye - the Agriculture Chamber's assessment is that this will also be a below-average harvest. In the previous year, 578,000 hectares of grain were cultivated in NRW, which corresponds to half of the local arable land.
- Despite the impending rain, farmers in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) are hoping to complete their grain harvest as soon as possible.
- The city of Düsseldorf, located in NRW, has been following the weather patterns closely, as the Agriculture Chamber there predicts another challenging harvest.
- The excess rainfall during the autumn and spring seasons in NRW not only delayed the sowing but also negatively impacted the growth of grain harvest crops like wheat and rye.
- Rain showers in Düsseldorf may further complicate the grain harvest, as farmers in North Rhine-Westphalia struggle to maintain average yields amidst less than favorable weather conditions.
