Meadows have dried up, corn fields are bone dry: in Thuringia, fodder for dairy cattle is scarce in some places. The farmers still have reserves, but what if next year is going to be just as dry?
Erfurt (dpa/th) - The persistent drought poses problems for many cattle farmers in Thuringia when it comes to the supply of feed. Since the dry weather has affected the growth of forage plants and grassland, there is a lack of corn silage and hay, said André Rathgeber, consultant for crop production at the Thuringian Farmers' Association, the German Press Agency. Most farms could currently still secure feeding with reserves from the previous year. "But if there is no rain in autumn and next spring, the animal population will probably decrease due to a lack of feed and some farms will give up completely."
In the case of corn, particularly drastic crop failures of 50 percent and more are to be expected this year, said Rathgeber. While the yield in 2021 was 480 quintals per hectare, only 200 to 250 quintals are expected this year. "The corn is small, puny, and in places only knee-high." In some places, the harvest has to start now - and thus a month earlier than usual - otherwise the corn will dry out too much and can no longer be used for animal feed.
Especially in eastern Thuringia, such as in the Saale-Orla district and in the Greiz district, as well as in the Thuringian basin north of Autobahn 4, there are problems with the corn due to the drought, said the speaker. In addition, there would be dry grassland across the country. Meadows could only be used once for hay. "Usually there are three cuts and not just one." In some cases, cows also had to be fetched from the pasture because there was no more fodder. Additional feed is now also needed for grazing animals.
According to Rathgeber, the farmers' association initiated a feed exchange so that the farms can network better with each other and help each other. In this way, farms that still have feed left could offer it to those farmers who are not doing so well.
The farmers' association also expects major crop failures this year for sugar beets and sunflowers due to the drought. In the case of grain and oilseeds, on the other hand, the yields are still acceptable - but there are large regional differences, it said. The farmers' association wants to report on this year's harvest on September 1st.
