The harvest of fruits and vegetables from French farmers this year has decreased by almost 35% due to very dry weather. This was announced on August 16 by the president of the French National Association of Vegetable Producers (Legumes de France) Jacques Rouchasset during a broadcast on Franceinfo radio station.
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“The crop has been damaged. At the moment, we estimate it at 25-35% … It is necessary that the adopted restrictions on the use of water be better adapted to ensure the food security and independence of the French, ”he said.
Rouchasset also added that the government needs to organize state support programs for farmers, because without them, France will be forced to import all fruits and vegetables from other countries.
“If tomorrow we still want to have French production, we will have to come to the aid of manufacturers so that we can continue to supply French consumers with products of French origin that they demand,” summed up the president of the association.
Earlier, on August 12, forest fires in France near the city of Bordeaux, which began due to severe drought, were compared with the apocalypse. It is reported that fire brigades from six European countries were called to fight the flames.
As recalled by Gazeta.Ru, in July, more than 100 communes in France were left without drinking water due to drought. French Minister of Comprehensive Environmental Transformation Christophe Bechoux said that the authorities organized the supply of drinking water to the affected regions by truck.
Last July is recognized as one of the six hottest in Europe on record. Temperature records have been broken in several countries. On August 9, it became known that Spanish farmers fear rising food prices due to one of the worst droughts in a decade.