Environment News
Europe Facing Vegetable Shortage Disruptions, Fire Fears Due to Heatwave
Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 27 July, 2006 : - - Brussels - Europe's shops and supermarkets are facing a shortage of vegetables later this year as a result of the current heatwave, a leading industry group warned on Wednesday. According to OEITFL, which represents Europe's fruit and vegetable processing industry, shop owners must prepare for the likelihood of empty shelves, fridges and freezers as a result of the unusually hot temperatures that have gripped Europe.
"The canners and freezers of vegetables fear that stock levels may not make up for the shortfall of this year's crop," Susanne Meyer, OEITFL Secretary General, told Reuters. "Of course, we cannot speak for farmers directly or those delivering fresh produce, but if there has been an adverse impact on the raw materials for us, then of course it will be the same for shops and supermarkets."
Meyer said the current heatwave, which has seen most of Europe enduring temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius (86 F), has plunged the industry into its worst situation in 20 years. "The position is reminiscent of the catastrophic year 1976 when a comparable lack of rain was registered which now leaves them with less production than anticipated under normal weather conditions," she said.
"A further aggravating factor was the long, cold, and wet spring which inhibited the sowing and germination of seeds, itself leading to a much shorter season." Europe's farmers are facing heavy financial losses due the current weather conditions with harvest forecasts continuing to be cut on a daily basis.
On Wednesday, eight countries sought permission for their farmers to use land that is normally prohibited under EU rules, as they run out of land on which to feed their animals. The unusually high temperatures and lack of water leaves the processed vegetables market facing massive shortages of main produce such as peas, cauliflower, spinach, beans, broad beans, baby carrots, broccoli, and onions.
According to OEITFL there has been a substantial reduction in principal producer countries such as Belgium, France, Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, where pea crops are down some 20 percent. The scenario is the same for spinach with anticipated shortages of up to 20 percent, and with cauliflower crops down by up to 30 percent.
Meyer said her organisation is particularly concerned about the situation in Eastern Europe. "In Poland, for some vegetables like beans, the crop is even expected down by 40 percent, and in Hungary zucchini volumes are also down some 40 percent," Meyer said.
While the current weather had already taken its toll, the outlook for the autumn also is grim. "Long-range outlook weather forecasts do nothing to encourage hope but further worsen an already dramatic situation," Meyer said.
Europe Heatwave Sparks Disruptions, Fire Fears
Berlin - A deadly heatwave gripping central Europe has raised fears of forest fires in Poland, sent electricity prices rocketing in Germany and caused the suspension of shipping on major rivers as water levels dwindle. This will probably be the hottest July for Germany since our nationwide records began in 1900," said German meteorologist Gerhard Mueller-Westermeier from national weather service DWD.
The service said Wednesday's forecast sweltering temperatures of 37 degrees Celsius (99 Farenheit) could be matched on Thursday, extending a heatwave which has continued since the soccer World Cup began early last month. "It has been going on pretty much non-stop since June 10," said Mueller-Westermeier. "It's far too warm and too dry in a lot of parts of Germany."
Shipping on the river Elbe -- which also runs through the Czech Republic and Poland -- was stopped as water levels dropped nearly 1 metre (yard) to around 95 centimetres in Germany. "No cargo shipping is possible," said Herbert Dorf, a senior official at the Water and Shipping Bureau in Magdeburg.
There is a similar situation with the Oder river, which forms a stretch of the border between Germany and Poland. Some nuclear power plants operating with river water cooling systems had to cut electricity output by up to 40 percent said Ivo Banek, spokesman for energy firm Vattenfall.
In order to protect their fragile ecosystems, rivers in Germany have limits on how warm water returning from power stations can be. Hotter rivers also mean soaring electricity prices, Banek said. "There is no danger of a physical lack of electricity in Germany, but prices on the wholesale market have rocketed by 500 percent over the past weeks," he said.
In neighbouring Poland, fire and forest services said they had put 90 percent of the country on the top level of fire alert. Some southern districts have begun imposing limits on daily water usage, appealing to local residents to stop watering their gardens or washing cars. "The suspicion is that some people are putting the welfare of their tomatoes first," one local mayor told the TVN news channel. "As a result in 10 days or so they may not have water to wash dishes or shower."
Experts also warned that food prices were set to rise as reports of crop failing amid the sweltering heat intensified. A leading food industry group said Europe's shops and supermarkets are facing a shortage of vegetables later this year as a result of the current heatwave.
"The position is reminiscent of the catastrophic year 1976 when a comparable lack of rain was registered which now leaves them with less production than anticipated under normal weather conditions," said Susanne Meyer, OEITFL secretary general.
The heat wave has already taken its human toll. Some 40 people died over the past week in France and dozens more were killed by the scorching temperatures in the United States.
In the Netherlands, human resources firm Arbo Unie, which monitors 2.2 million workers in the country, said sick rates are 7.5 percent higher than last year due to the heat. (Additional reporting by Patrick Graham in Warsaw, Alexandra Hudson in Amsterdam)
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Source: Reuters
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