The drought of recent months is becoming a problem for farmers and horticulturists in the south of the country. Less rain can lead to crop failure and higher food prices.
In Limburg, especially around Weert, farmers have therefore started to irrigate their land.
Extra cost
Arable farmer Chris Breukers from Ell will be watering his onion sets for the third time this season. “The top five centimeters of the soil is very dry, underneath there is some good moisture. If the root system also becomes dry, there is no stopping it,” according to Breukers.
The only solution is to spray. But that entails additional costs. According to Breukers, watering his plot once now costs him 300 euros more. He hopes to recoup this by getting a good price for his onion sets.
Spraying ban leads to food shortage
A spray ban has been in effect in parts of North Brabant since this week. The farmer from Ell does not have to worry about this immediately because he uses his own water source. For many other farmers and horticulturists an irrigation ban can lead to problems. Giel van Herten, chairman of the De Limburgse Land- en Tuinbouwbond (LLTB) in the Central Limburg region, does not hope that the Limburg Water Board will also introduce such a ban.
“There will be a food shortage if we can no longer irrigate. The consumer will have to pay for that in one way or another,” says the driver.
North and South Limburg
The drought in other parts of Limburg is less, according to the LLTB. In North Limburg, buffering water in ditches and setting a higher level during the winter period is bearing fruit. In South Limburg, the top centimeters of the construction furrow are dry, but there is still sufficient water in the soil below. This is also related to the loess soil type in the south of the province, the association said.