Farmers in the southern regions have started to harvest crops, spokeswoman for the Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber (SPPK) Jana Holeciova announced on Tuesday, adding that compared to previous years, the summer harvest has been postponed by about one week.
According to her, the reason for this is the rainy and cold weather during the spring, especially in May, which caused the grain to ripen at a slower pace. However, the beginning of the harvest was also affected by a very rainy autumn, which in turn delayed the sowing of winter crops. Therefore, farmers who sowed their winter crops later in the autumn will also reap them later.
"This year's harvest is beginning about five to seven days later than we've become accustomed to because of climate change in recent years. For example, in 2019, the harvest of cereals started at the end of June," she said.
