Western Macedonia – Large reduction in bean production

Bean producers in Western Macedonia are in despair, in the Regional Units of Florina and Kastoria, because due to the unprecedented heat, the bean plants bore no crop.

Specifically, in the area of ​​Prespa, a prolonged heat wave was recorded, with the result that the combination of high temperature and low relative humidity caused the flowers to wither resulting in a huge reduction in production.

The large reduction in production is estimated to range from 60 to 70%. The temperatures recorded at the stations in the area even exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, a heat limit for agricultural compensation organization ELGA.

The bean producers are asking for the insurance coverage of the crop while they have already announced the damages due to the heat in the cultivation of the gigantes/elefantes beans (PGI) and plake beans (Greek varieties of the scarlet runner bean).

“All the expenses have been made and unfortunately our fields do not have crops. The damage is quite large. In our region, we have never seen such prolonged heat waves”, stressed to greenagenda.gr the president of the Agricultural Cooperative “Pelekanos” Costas Nalbantidis, noting that “we have proceeded with the announcement with which we ask for immediate compensation and we are waiting for ELGA assessors soon. A total of 250 families are experiencing difficult conditions and some producers who can not stand it are forced to leave our area.”