Farmers in Lower Austria have signed a sobering potato balance this year. The reason for this: heat, drought and huge wireworm infestation.
If the wireworm had shunned potatoes as much as local farmers had avoided the word potato — yes, this year’s crop would have been better. Unfortunately, the persistent pest had it easy with the plants stressed by the heat and drought. As a result, revenues are now well below those of the previous year.
“Insufficient crop protection measures”
“Here you can clearly see what happens if insufficient crop protection measures are taken,” said Lorenz Mayr, Vice-President of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture, referring to the European ban on aerosols. “The goal of any development should be to be self-sufficient with food from the home country,” adds Franz Wanzenböck of IG Erdäpfelbau.
The use of chemical-synthetic pesticides has already been reduced by almost a quarter since 2011. The result: “Farmers now have more work, but less income,” complain the two farmers.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
