A punishing European drought shrivels crops from Dutch potatoes to Bosnian corn
WOLPHAARTSDIJK, Netherlands (AP) — A cloud of dust billows behind Maarten Janse’s tractor as he spreads a mixture of compost, straw and manure over a field to nourish the parched soil. Janse’s farm on the fertile land of…
In the Netherlands, a farmer named Maarten Janse toils away on a parched wheat field, spreading a mixture of compost, straw, and manure in an attempt to revive the withering soil. Despite his efforts to make his farm more resilient to drought, the relentless heat and El Nino-driven conditions are wreaking havoc on Europe's farmland.
Across the continent, crops are withering under the extreme weather, from potatoes in the Netherlands to corn in Bosnia and grapes in Italy. The impact of the drought is severe, with Triodos, a Dutch sustainable banking institution, projecting that the combined effects of heatwaves and water scarcity could reduce the European Union's gross domestic product by 1% in 2026, amounting to approximately 180 billion euros ($208 billion).
The situation is dire for farmers, who are now barred from using water from streams and drainage channels to irrigate their fields. In Zeeland, Hendrik Jan ten Cate watches helplessly as his once-vibrant potato plants succumb to the drought, leaving him with a diminished harvest that will undoubtedly disappoint his clientele, including fast-food giants like McDonald's.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
