At the meeting, the regional council reviewed applications from Timbras and Lendumi farming enterprises. The applicants indicate that the amount of precipitation the Rucava region received this past May, June and July was insufficient to ensure proper vegetation growth.
As a result of the dry spell, large territories of agricultural lands in Rucava have dried up and withered. Farmers in the region are calling for a state of emergency as the drought is threatening to destroy this year’s harvest.
The regional council of Rucava decided to send the request for the state of emergency, which would allow the farmers to apply for government support, to the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry.
The Ministry of Agriculture told LETA that it has received the letter from the Rucava regional council and that the information provided in the letter will be assessed. The Ministry of Agriculture has ordered the Rural Support Service to assess the situation in Rucava region, estimate the losses and establish their causes. After this information is provided the Agriculture Ministry will decide on further steps.