Under the effect of the extreme heat of the last few days, which arrived after weeks of drought in several French regions, many cereals “
will be ready three weeks in advance
”, estimates Christiane Lambert, president of the FNSEA.
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"
The drought of the last few weeks has accelerated the maturity of the cereals: some are ready three weeks in advance, and three days of terrible heat wave have done the ripening work of 10-15 days
", explained to AFP the leader. of the majority agricultural union.
The barley harvest, which opens the harvest season, "
has already started on June 5 in Poitou, around June 10 in Maine-et-Loire
", and should soon be followed by those of wheat or hay, she indicates.
While remaining very cautious about forecasts, she believes that depending on the region and depending on the weather for the next few days, there is a risk of yield losses "
between 10 and 30%
", because "
cereals are dry, burned
" by excessive temperatures.
We must “
reap, reap, reap
” as soon as possible.
Forty departments, more than a third of the country, have implemented restrictions on the use of water.
Depending on the level of alert, the reduction in withdrawals for agricultural purposes remains below 50% or goes beyond, as in the region of Poitiers or Orléans.
Fire risks
The peasants will have to harvest with precaution, because the passage of the metal machines in the fields in full heat “
creates fire risks
”, explains Christiane Lambert.
"
When the sun beats down on the dry leaves of the vines, it can also cause fires to break out
," she continues, predicting an early harvest date, perhaps from the beginning of August for the southernmost regions. south.
Since the beginning of the year, farmers have suffered a series of severe climatic episodes: frost, hail, drought and finally a heat wave alert.
Farm animals, which have a higher body temperature than humans - "
38 degrees for pigs, 41 for hens
" - will also suffer from this intense heat: "
it accelerates their respiratory rate, exhausts them
".
In cattle in particular, "
those who produce milk do less, and those intended to make meat no longer grow
," she explains.
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The only solution: to install them in better air-conditioned buildings, with air evacuations or cold water curtains, devices which remain costly for breeders.