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Odessa farmers ask to declare an emergency: drought destroyed crops

11.04.2020

Due to the snowless winter and recent frosts, the agro-industrial complex of the Odessa region suffers multimillion-dollar losses: if there is no rain in the near future, rapeseed and cereals will die, and what will happen to sunflower and corn is unknown.

This was reported by the correspondent of the Ukrainian Information Service.

On April 9, deputies of the Odessa regional council adopted an appeal to the president and the Cabinet of Ministers on the need to take measures to reduce the effects of drought and the formation of grain resources.

The appeal says that in 2019 the Hydrometeorological Center of the Black and Azov Seas recorded in our region the least amount of precipitation over the past 20 years - 331 mm. Snowless winter very sparingly replenished moisture in the ground. For example, in January it was 8 mm - this is 22% of the monthly norm. Freezing in March - April led to the destruction of crops. The deputies agreed that all this leads to crop failure and bankruptcy of farms.

Agrarian deputy Georgy Ciklikchi noted that if there is no rain in the next 8-10 days, rape and cereals will die. Also, farmers can not guarantee that there will be sunflower and corn. This situation will lead to losses in livestock.

MP Mikhail Lazarenko added that 50% less crop than expected was already expected. He asked to get from the government not to tax farmers with income tax.

The Odessa regional council asks the Cabinet of Ministers to announce the emergency situation in the agro-industrial complex of the Odessa region, create a government commission to develop measures to stabilize the situation. Deputies also ask for financial assistance to households and compensate interest on loans that are most affected by the drought.

materials from the site usionline.com