Hungarian farmers struggling to plant seeds in bone-dry soil; agriculture on the brink of collapse amid desert-like conditions
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The southern regions of the Great Hungarian Plain, one of the country’s breadbaskets, have been struggling with extremely low precipitation for a decade. Some farmers are now planting seeds in bone-dry soil. However, without adequate irrigation, they stand little chance of growing crops that will yield a harvest. In response to the rapidly changing climate, some Hungarian farmers are considering contacting their Mediterranean counterparts to introduce Mediterranean plants to Hungary.
Farmers plant in bone-dry soil
According to RTL Klub, a Hungarian commercial TV channel, more and more farmers are being forced to plant seeds in bone-dry soil in the southern regions of the Great Hungarian Plain. The channel reports that only 70mm of precipitation has fallen between January and May. Moreover, no more than 5mm fell on any single day, and due to strong gusts, that rain quickly evaporated from the fields.
As a result, adequate irrigation has become essential, but it is not possible everywhere. In some areas, high-voltage power lines obstruct mechanised irrigation. One example of this can be seen in the photo below. Consequently, only half of the land is irrigated. The difference is striking:
Under these conditions how can you have battery factories that require massive amounts of water?