Farmers in north-western Europe are anxiously monitoring dry weather conditions, potentially leading to the worst spring drought in a century. Hendrik Jan ten Cate's past experiences with drought have underscored the physical risks farmers take to protect their crops and manage extreme weather impacts. With crops already growing, the urgency for consistent rainfall is critical for agriculture across the UK, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany. The financial stakes are high as losses from drought total billions each year, raising concerns over agricultural sustainability and food security in the EU.
When faced with drought in 2018, Dutch farmer Hendrik Jan ten Cate suffered tremendous losses and injuries, highlighting the stress and labor farmers endure for their crops.
Sven Borchert, a cereal and vegetable farmer, underscores the anxiety surrounding drought, voicing concerns about balancing productivity with bank repayments when rainfall is scarce.
With critical crops dependent on weekly water during this extremely dry spring, farmers across north-western Europe face grave uncertainty affecting their livelihoods.
Extreme weather events in Europe lead to about €28.3 billion in annual losses across the agricultural sector, predominantly driven by drought and affecting food security.
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