Drought, a major threat for farmers in Giurgiu County
Articol de Marcela Petcu, 12 Iulie 2024, 18:18
Drought has, in recent years, become a major threat for farmers in Giurgiu County. Only 20% of agricultural crops are currently irrigated because the main infrastructure has not been rehabilitated.
Most affected are sunflower and corn fields.
Farmers Sorin Gheta and Stefan Musca say they invested in corn and sunflower crops, which they now see compromised.
-We have sunflowers destroyed, we have corn destroyed. A drought so severe that all our investments are being wiped out.
On top of that, we have irrigation on small areas.
Mihai Badoi, head of ANIF Giurgiu: Over 38.000 hectares have been contracted. Giurgiu has redeveloped 160.000 hectares. So far, in terms of water source, so the Danube river, there are no problems. The rehabilitation of the largest land improvement scheme in the county, the Giurgiu-Razmiresti scheme, has started.
In Giurgiu county, the area planted with maize is 38.500 hectares and 44.000 hectares of sunflowers. Representatives of the Directorate for Agriculture have estimated that these agricultural crops are 30% affected by the drought.
Translated by: Radu Matei
