A cold spring wipes out early harvests of Lithuanian vegetables and berries

„I don't remember such frosts for maybe 20 years“, says Paulius Andriejavas, Chairman of the Board of the Lithuanian Vegetable Growers Association (LDAA). The unexpected warmth of early spring was soon replaced not only by cooler weather, but also by recurrent frosts that lasted for several days. The damage is really painful," said Mr Andriejavas, who was not hiding his sadness.

Market losses

„From the high heat, when everything started to sprout, we got frosts, and not just one day, but several, and the frosts were recurrent“, – the chairman of the LDAA board commented on the natural vicissitudes.

The frosts have been biting almost all over Lithuania.

„Early potatoes froze almost all over Lithuania. Asparagus froze a few times, because it was just breaking through and freezing“, – continued the conversation.

The potato harvest is the biggest concern for Mr Andriejav at the moment. It is clear that there will be no early Lithuanian potatoes.

„In general, the potato harvest this year will be much later and smaller“, – stated the Chairman of the Board of the LDAA, adding that „the worst thing is that farmers will lose their place on the market“. Moreover, he said, vegetables of uncertain import may start to arrive in our country.

„It is not clear under what conditions potatoes can be grown or what kind of plant protection products have been used“, – the quality of potatoes from other countries is in doubt, Mr. Andriejavas said.

It will not be easy for farmers to get back on the market, and prices could be significantly lower.

Fruit and berry harvests will be severely delayed

Tautvydas Gurskas, chairman of the Lithuanian Berry Growers Association (LUAA), says that among berry growers, those who grow berries in special tunnels rather than in the open field are more fortunate than those who grow them in the open.

„All the early strawberries froze outdoors, blackcurrants along the ground, raspberry shoots, rosehips, cherries and cherries in many places, depending on the region. Surprisingly, honeysuckle and amelanchus stood their ground, – T. Gurskas reviewed the situation.

Will the gardens recover? "Yes, the blossoms will reappear, but this year everything will be later," says the LUAA President.

A large number of apple blossoms were also lost to frost in the agricultural cooperative „Olrevita“ in Vilkaviškis district.

„Well, the percentage of blossoms lost does not reflect the future harvest. The reduction will certainly be very large, but it is difficult to estimate exactly how much, said Vitas Kušlys, who manages the Gudkaimis apple farm.

„We may have to search for apples like mushrooms in a forest“, – continued the farmer.

Will seek compensation

„We believe it is very important to declare a state of emergency due to the severe frost, because farmers have not only lost their crops. They also have obligations to the National Paying Agency, to their creditors," says Mr Andriejavas.

Were the insurance policies not helpful in this case? The LDAA chairman clarified that the ban is valid for May frosts, which occurred in April. Gurskas stated that berry growers' insurance policies do not cover frost, only hail.

At municipal level, compensation is not always smooth.

P. Andriejavas believes that recording frost damage imposes an excessive administrative burden on both farmers and municipal staff.

The LUAA chairman pointed out that in some municipalities there are no commissions to assess the damage, and the staff do not have inventories, so the compensation mechanism is stagnating.

„Now farmers have to be in the fields and try to protect the harvest that is yet to come, instead of running around the fields and recording the damages suffered“, – criticized the current situation, adding that a state of emergency at the national level could really make things easier for everyone.