The crisis in the agricultural industry has affected not only France but also all its European neighbors, according to France 2. In the UK, farmers are postponing the planting season to save on heating greenhouses in winter. In Germany, farmers are reducing production volumes due to higher fertilizer prices. 

And Italy, which managed to limit the rise in prices for raw materials, is suffering from a drought, the channel states.

Apart from France, all our European neighbors are affected by the agricultural crisis. In the UK, the cost of electricity increased by 70% in a year, the price of gas – by 130%. It is becoming difficult for many British farms to make a profit.

MAELI SEPTEMBR, correspondent for France Televisions in London: The fields and greenhouses are completely empty. Many vegetable growers in the UK have had to make difficult decisions to produce less or with a delay. For example, here at this time of the year, a cucumber seedling should reach two meters in height. Harvest season should be in full swing. 

However, to avoid having to heat the greenhouses during the coldest months, growers decided to delay planting by two and a half months. The result was shortages and rationing of products in supermarkets. Consumers are not allowed to buy more than two or three packs of certain types of vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.

The rise in prices did not bypass Germany. As a result, agricultural production continues to decline. Pork production is down 10 per cent, and the industry is not the only one affected.

LAURENT DEBONNET, a correspondent for France Televisions in Berlin: In Germany, fertilizer prices have become a problem for many farmers. They soared, increasing the accounts of this farm in Bavaria three and a half times in a year. The fact is that until recently a large amount of fertilizers was imported from Russia.

Here’s what it looks like on this farm. These fertilizer stocks cost about five million euros, but this is not enough to meet all the needs during the year. Many German farmers have already envisaged a reduction in fertilizer consumption, even if this would lead to lower production volumes.

Italy managed to contain the rise in commodity prices, but could not avoid a drought. 30 percent of agricultural products were under threat. All the earth has dried up. In northern Italy, the water level is at the level typical for August.

CLAIRE VEROV, a correspondent for France Televisions in Rome: Therefore, farmers need to find solutions. Abandon the cultivation of rice, which is a traditional crop for this area, in favor of soybean, and install water storage pools. Here, farmers had to start drawing water from the Tiber a month and a half earlier – it’s still only March. The rest of the year causes them anxiety. This situation is becoming familiar to French farmers as well. After a month of almost no rain, some departments have already introduced water restrictions for businesses at the end of February. Video

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