Farmers consider abandoning drought-hit region in central Hungary
LADANYBENE, Hungary (Reuters) -Farmers in southern Hungary's key agricultural area are grappling with increasingly severe drought as climate change cuts crop yields and reduces groundwater levels, with some considering relocating or alternative employment.
The vast flatland, situated between the Tisza and the Danube rivers, produces corn, grain, and sunflower seed, but scientists warn that rising temperatures and insufficient rainfall are threatening its agricultural viability.
The Hungarian meteorological service said on Thursday that soil in central Hungary remains "critically dry" despite recent rains, with summer crops severely affected.
Krisztian Kisjuhasz, a beekeeper in Ladanybene would normally move his bees home to his farm at the end of the honey-producing season in July, and start preparing them for the winter.
This year, however, he packed up his bees in the middle of the night, wearing a headlamp with red light to move them to a flood zone of the Tisza river, more than 80 kilometers from his home to ensure they have access to pollen.
"Last year 30% of our bees died mainly because there was not enough pollen due to the drought ... they were not strong enough for the winter," he said, adding that the costs of commuting to tend to his bees will force him to raise honey prices.
Kisjuhasz, whose farm has been in his family for five generations, is now contemplating selling it and moving to a less dry area.
"There is no future for beekeeping in the Homokhátság," he said.
In May, the government launched a project worth about 5 billion forints ($14.29 million) to clean canals and focus on water retention to combat drought.
However, the government cannot completely protect the country from the drought, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with website baon.hu last month.
"We are doing everything we can, but even these efforts will only be sufficient to alleviate the damage caused by drought," he said.
In 2022, a droughtcaused 1000 billion forints ($2.86 billion) of losses for the agricultural sector and contributed to a rise in Hungarian inflation to two-decade highs.
Csaba Toldi, a farmer in Jaszszentlaszlo, said his grasslands produced a loss this year for the first time due to the drought and he is seeking alternative work.
Water needs to be returned to the Homokhatsag region, either through channels or water retention, Toldi says, otherwise "this area will completely dry out."
($1 = 350.0000 forints)
(Reporting by Anita KomuvesEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
Flight restrictions lifted at Russia's Samara airport
MOSCOW: Temporary restrictions on planes taking off and landing at Russia's Samara airport on Saturday to ensure flight safety have been lifted, Artem Korenyako, a spokesperson for Russian civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said on Telegram. He gave no further reason for the restrictions, which were in place for about 45 minutes. The airport is located close to the Volga River in the Samara region, southeast of Moscow. - Reuters
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Residents seek shelter as heatwave hits the southwest
TEMPERATURES topping 40˚C have broiled Chongqing, a metropolis in China's southwest known for its fiery hotpot restaurants and cyberpunk cityscape, pushing some locals to cope with the increasingly hot weather in innovative ways. 'It's getting hotter and hotter,' said Liu Fengying, 60, a local resident. As afternoon temperatures soared on Thursday, he avoided the heat by playing card games and sharing snacks with friends among around 100 retirees sheltering in the air-conditioned chill of a subway entrance. 'Aside from coming here, there's really no other way to avoid the heat. Last night, even with the AC set to 17˚C, it was still hot and wouldn't cool down.' Record heat across China has strained its power grid as demand surges to new all-time highs, now in excess of 1.5 billion kilowatts, with records broken four times just in July. After daily peaks exceeding 40˚C for a week, Chongqing elevated its heat-wave warning to the highest level – a red alert – on Thursday, with 21 out of its 38 districts forecast to hit up to 43˚C. A peak of 44˚C is projected for tomorrow. Historically, daily peaks in the city of nearly 32 million people have rarely exceeded 39˚C in July, which is already very hot by global standards. Since the start of May, the number of days the city recorded temperatures exceeding 35˚C this year was double the historic average. But some Chongqingers remain unfazed – for now. Xie, 79, one of dozens of swimmers who gathered at a tributary of the Yangtze as the sun started to set on Thursday, cools down with regular swims in China's longest river. 'Chongqing has always been a furnace city, but we have the river to cool down,' he said before diving off a two-metre tall river bank in his underwear. — Reuters
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Farmers consider abandoning drought-hit region in central Hungary
A drone view shows dried-up lands near Jaszszentlaszlo, Hungary, July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Marton Monus LADANYBENE, Hungary (Reuters) -Farmers in southern Hungary's key agricultural area are grappling with increasingly severe drought as climate change cuts crop yields and reduces groundwater levels, with some considering relocating or alternative employment. The vast flatland, situated between the Tisza and the Danube rivers, produces corn, grain, and sunflower seed, but scientists warn that rising temperatures and insufficient rainfall are threatening its agricultural viability. The Hungarian meteorological service said on Thursday that soil in central Hungary remains "critically dry" despite recent rains, with summer crops severely affected. Krisztian Kisjuhasz, a beekeeper in Ladanybene would normally move his bees home to his farm at the end of the honey-producing season in July, and start preparing them for the winter. This year, however, he packed up his bees in the middle of the night, wearing a headlamp with red light to move them to a flood zone of the Tisza river, more than 80 kilometers from his home to ensure they have access to pollen. "Last year 30% of our bees died mainly because there was not enough pollen due to the drought ... they were not strong enough for the winter," he said, adding that the costs of commuting to tend to his bees will force him to raise honey prices. Kisjuhasz, whose farm has been in his family for five generations, is now contemplating selling it and moving to a less dry area. "There is no future for beekeeping in the Homokhátság," he said. In May, the government launched a project worth about 5 billion forints ($14.29 million) to clean canals and focus on water retention to combat drought. However, the government cannot completely protect the country from the drought, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with website last month. "We are doing everything we can, but even these efforts will only be sufficient to alleviate the damage caused by drought," he said. In 2022, a droughtcaused 1000 billion forints ($2.86 billion) of losses for the agricultural sector and contributed to a rise in Hungarian inflation to two-decade highs. Csaba Toldi, a farmer in Jaszszentlaszlo, said his grasslands produced a loss this year for the first time due to the drought and he is seeking alternative work. Water needs to be returned to the Homokhatsag region, either through channels or water retention, Toldi says, otherwise "this area will completely dry out." ($1 = 350.0000 forints) (Reporting by Anita KomuvesEditing by Alexandra Hudson)
