There is a risk of drought this summer, and in some parts of the country farmers have already felt the effects of the lack of rain.
Jan-Åke Gunnarsson runs a farm between Älmhult and Ljungby in Kronoberg County – and he hardly dares to think about what will happen if the summer turns out to be as dry as 2018.
– If you don’t have feed, you have to slaughter animals, that will be the consequence, he says.
In normal cases, Jan-Åke Gunnarsson usually takes the first harvest at the beginning of June. But due to the lack of rain, the dill he grows, which is to be used as fodder for the cows, has not grown as it should. The grass, which usually stretches up to the knees this time of year, is only about 15 centimeters long.
– So it looks awkward. We also had quite a lot of frost and wind until a week ago, and that has also kept the vegetation down considerably, he says.
The only wish is rain
In the last ten days, there has been two millimeters of rain. The only thing Jan-Åke Gunnarsson wishes is for more to come.
– We are waiting for rain, and can hope for thunderstorms, but there is nothing in sight for the next ten days. If it only gets 20 or 30 millimeters, maybe we can get a harvest even if it’s late.
When advisers from Lantmännen and the association Växa were recently on site to discuss the situation with farmers in the area, they found that the dike was very dry and that it had weak growth, he says.
Sweden’s farmers were hit hard by the extreme weather in 2018. Jan-Åke Gunnarsson says he does not dare to think about the consequences if the drought were to be as severe this year, but says he is taking it one day at a time.
– I try to find solutions for us to get by, he says.
LRF: Many who are stressed
Markus Hoffman, responsible for water and sustainability issues at the Farmers’ Confederation, says that many people call and are stressed about the current situation.
– When I look at the forecast for Skåne, Östergötland, Mälardalen and the west coast, there is no rain for the next nine days. But you shouldn’t beat the hell out of the wall, the whole of June is still there and if there is rain, things can get better. But if it comes at the end of June, permanent crop damage can occur, he says.
LRF has now started a crisis group at national level to be able to support the farmers who are affected. Lessons learned from the 2018 drought are also being used.
– And then it’s about letting the farmers harvest on a larger area so we can solve the acute lack of pasture and to answer legal questions about access to water. But it’s also about the social side – that they should have someone to talk to so they don’t feel like they’re alone in this, says Markus Hoffman.