Farmers in crisis as spring crops face critical breaking point: 'A regular occurrence in recent years'

Hungarian stone fruits and other crops are in trouble after unseasonably cold weather.

What's happening?

"April frosts caused significant damage to many orchards," Hungary Today reported. Nighttime temperatures early this month dropped to minus 2 degrees Celsius (28 degrees Fahrenheit), and there were frosts of minus 4 to minus 6.

The outlet noted apricot and almond trees across the country had already bloomed and that peaches, cherries, sour cherries, and plums were in bloom or starting to blossom as well.

Farmers can seek partial compensation for their losses via the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture.

Why is this important?

The Carpathian Basin is warming faster than the global average, creating mild winters and earlier blooms, Hungary Today noted, citing Agrárágazat. But then, Arctic cold snaps devastated those crops, which are breaking buds 15-20 days earlier than they used to.

Agrárágazat reported that a famous peach orchard in Kecskemét will close next year because of losses caused by frosts and a reimbursement system based on average yield and previous financial results. Apricots will likely cost more throughout the year, too.

Grape and apple producers are also at risk, and there is an urgency to quickly adapt. Spring frosts could reduce yields by 85%-90% by 2050-60.

"Frost damage has become a regular occurrence in recent years and is caused by the weather changes associated with the climate crisis," Agrárágazat stated, per Hungary Today.

What's being done about crop losses in Hungary?

The agricultural damage mitigation system helps farmers and producers affected by frosts, but proactive solutions would be better, as weather whiplash, as well as increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events, are symptoms of rising global temperatures. These problems are affecting all kinds of crops all over the globe, from lemons in Spain to olives in California.

"In particular, producers of apricots, cherries, sour cherries, grapes and apples need to develop new adaptation strategies as soon as possible," Agrárágazat said via Hungary Today.

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