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Wine wins, crops lose, as farmers come to grips with record Balkans heat

R astislav Pucovski held a fistful of soy beans shriveled to the size of peppercorns on his farmland in northern Serbia where the soil, dried to dust by dry spell, swirled in the wind.

A brief shower, the very first in over 40 days, used no relief. The surrounding fields, near the town of Backi Petrovac, stayed parched, the corn and soy crops withered.

Whatever is bone dry, said Pucovski, 48, as he surveilled his land this week. I do not know how we will offer it.

Serbia, like much of the Balkans, experienced its hottest summer season on record, fuelled by repeated heatwaves that pushed temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

The heat, paired with drought, has strained the area's. fragile power grid, reduced key water reserves and caused crop. failures. It has actually likewise raised concerns about creeping climate. change, consisting of irregular rains and greater temperature levels that. much of southern Europe is already experiencing.

Balkan red wine growers say they might be rare winners because. the hot weather has increased the sugar content in their grapes. But corn, soy, sunflowers and some veggies can be ravaged,. farmers stated.

Farming represent around 6% of Serbia's GDP. Initial data by producers suggest Serbian corn yields may. stop by about 20%.

One issue is water access. Serbia, which has traditionally. taken pleasure in lots of rain, just waters 1.4% of its farming. land, Statistics Office information reveal.

Numerous countless euros would be needed for it to. reach the worldwide average of 17% of farmland under watering,. said Belgrade-based agricultural expert Branislav Gulan.

He expects farming income losses this year of around 500. million euros ($ 554.35 million) since of dry spell.

In neighbouring Bosnia, dry spell may halve the corn yield to. 4.5-5 loads per hectare, said Dragan Mandic, an expert at the. Agricultural Institute of Bosnia's Serb Republic.

Dejan Jovanovic, a farmer from the Bijeljina area, said. his crops were ravaged.

The corn leaves are paper-white and crumbly, the grains are. small.

GRAPES BY NIGHT

The hot weather has considerably altered the grape. harvest in the Balkans this year. Manufacturers have actually been required to. pick grapes earlier than anyone can remember. Some harvests will. be smaller however the quality will be better, manufacturers stated.

In Croatia's eastern Ilok area, the headlights of grape. harvesting machines pierce the dark lanes in between vines. Wine. makers have begun picking at night due to the fact that the grapes start. fermenting too fast when selected in the heat of the day.

It's much better to gather in the evening due to the fact that it is not so hot,. said Darko Sili, a maker driver.

This year's harvest will be almost a month earlier than. typical and might be as much as 30% smaller due to the heat, stated Vesna. Stajner, a spokesperson for the Ilocki Podrumi winery.

In Kosovo, choosing began in August, likewise a month earlier. than in 2015. Owners said they scrambled to find pickers so. early in the season.

Dozens of employees gathered at dawn in the vineyard of the. Stone Castle winery near the southern town of Rahovec.

Our excellent grandparents can not remember grapes being. collected so early, said Nebi Duraj, grape production. planner at Stone Castle.

There's an upside. It resembles eating sugar, a worker in. his 60s stated as he filled his mouth with white grapes.

Duraj stated the white wine quality would be much better than ever this. year due to the fact that of the sweet taste, which turns to alcohol.

When you look for red wine in the coming years, ask for the. 2024 vintage..

(source: Reuters)