EU nation declares state of emergency

Lithuania has imposed nationwide measure after months of heavy rainfall

Lithuania has declared a state of emergency after torrential rains this summer devastated much of the Baltic country’s agricultural harvest.

The move will enable more coordinated, nationwide support for farmers affected by the extreme weather, the Lithuanian government said in a statement on Wednesday. It noted that 14 municipalities had already declared local emergencies prior to the decision.

“The long rainy period damaged or destroyed from 50% to 70% of the harvest,” the statement said, adding that in many of the affected areas, farmers still cannot harvest their crops because fields remain flooded.

“Farmers will also be unable to fulfill their contractual obligation to sow crops by August 15,” it said.

The long rainy period began in late May, and the country’s rainfall in June and July became the second heaviest ever, exceeded only by measurements from 2007, the government noted.

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Heavy rains have led to the soil in many areas being so saturated that even brief rainfall now leads to flooding, it said.

Under the state of emergency, the government can waive certain deadlines and administrative requirements to allow farmers to focus on harvesting, Lithuanian Deputy Agriculture Minister Andrius Palionis said in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to public broadcaster LRT.

Neighboring Latvia also declared a state of emergency last week in response to the damage that frost, rain, and floods have inflicted on its agriculture in recent months.

Food prices in Latvia will likely rise due to the poor harvest, parliament speaker Daiga Mierina has warned, according to local media.