Nearly 100,000 ha of Farmland Affected by Drought
The hardest hit produce is grass that is used for fodder, maize, vegetables and apple orchards.
Two weeks of hot dry weather with temperatures between 30 and 37 degrees centigrade left an irreparable damage on corn grown on light sandy soil.
The hardest-hit are north-easternmost parts of the country and the region of Dolenjsko. Between 40% and 70% of the maize crop has sustained damage, estimates from the chamber show.
Of other crops, the hardest hit are oil pumpkins, potatoes and sunflowers. In the case of potato, drought set in at the phase of intensive growth of the tuber when the need for water is biggest.
Meanwhile, wheat, especially late varieties, have ripened too fast as a result of which the yield will be up to a third lower than expected. The weather will also affect the protein content.
In the case of vegetables, the most extensive damage is reported from coastal areas and the area of Dravsko-Ptujsko polje, where between 50% and 70% of the crop is affected.
Farmers from the area around Dravograd meanwhile report losing more than half of the grass output as a result of which some farms are forced to buy fodder.
The damage sustained by apple orchards will also reflect next year as at this time buds are being formed for next year. Estimates project at least 25% loss to this year's output, while the quality may also be affected.