The biggest problem that emerged was the lack of water drainage from potato fields in several areas of Zemgale and also towards Vidzeme.
If this does not happen within a few days, there will be big problems,t Guntis Gūtmanis, head of the Cooperation Council for Agricultural Organisations, told Latvian Radio.
"If a grain field leaks, the crop can be harvested after the water runs off. Potatoes, on the other hand, are starting to rot, mainly in Zemgale, but also in Vidzeme. If there is still water in the field, this, together with the warm weather, creates an excellent breeding ground for rot.
"You can smell it when you approach the field. Everything will be bad there. According to vegetable growers, it is literally a matter of a few days. If the water doesn't go away, it will be all over and those farmers will suffer huge losses," explained Guntis Gūtmanis.
Unlike cereals, potato areas are not insured. However, the industry has been in contact with insurers, especially after the damage caused by the large hailstorms last year.
The conclusion was that anything can be insured, but that the price of the policy offered was prohibitive in the absence of demand.
Claims for unharvested and rain-damaged grain fields have been submitted to insurance companies for around €3 million. Jānis Abāšins, head of the Latvian Insurers Association, told Latvian Radio earlier that 325 of the claims received after the storm were for crops.
