Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Farmers take stock of the first harvest

In the spring, the signs were favorable for the farmers in MV.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Farmers take stock of the first harvest

In the spring, the signs were favorable for the farmers in MV. Heavy rain had compensated for years of water deficit. But since March it has been too dry in many places - with consequences.

Lüssow (dpa/mv) - How does the long spring drought and the current heat wave affect the harvest? The Landesbauernverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern wants to give answers to these questions today in Lüssow (Rostock district). Association President Detlef Kurreck and plant experts take stock of the first harvest for 2022. After a rainy winter, it has been very dry for months, especially in the south of Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania.

The barley, which was already ripe at the beginning of July, has already arrived in MV. Combine harvesters are now on the move in rapeseed and wheat fields. After several dry years, farmers are hoping for better yields again in 2022. However, State Minister of Agriculture Till Backhaus (SPD) has already pointed out that the farmers are struggling with sometimes drastic price increases such as for fuel and fertilizer.

Winter barley and wheat are typically grown on more than 400,000 hectares in the Northeast. With 180,000 hectares, rapeseed is also important because its prices have also risen. In 2021, almost a fifth of the German rapeseed yield was harvested in MV. The agricultural and food industry is considered to be one of the most important economic sectors in the north-east.