Historic freeze wreaks havoc on the majority of this year’s fruit harvest in France
Fruit growers and winemakers in France have reported that the majority of their harvest this year has been lost to the significant cold snap that spread through parts of Europe from Wednesday, April 7 to Friday, April 9, 2021. Many industry experts believe that the frost damage might be the worst since the 1990s.
French farmers started counting the cost on Friday, April 9, after a deep cyclonic vortex from North Atlantic went down on northern Europe. Frosty conditions covered much of France, where many areas recorded their lowest April temperature on record.
"No region has been spared– beets, rape, barley, vines fruit trees [have been lost]. All the different kinds of support must be activated urgently," said the National Federation of Unions for Farmers (FNSEA). "Exceptional situations call for exceptional measures."
Farmers across the country had attempted to save their harvest by lighting fires and candles amid the frost. However, extreme cold conditions still ravaged about 90 percent of this year's harvest, local winemakers and fruit growers reported to the FNSEA.
"The winegrowers are devastated, downcast," said Philippe Pellaton, president of the Inter-Rhone Association of winegrowers, adding that this year should see the smallest harvest of the Côtes du Rhône in the past 40 years.
#France – In Alsace, "candles" protect orchards from frost as temperatures plummet. #AFP
Frederick Florin pic.twitter.com/eDayV9xMUt— AFP Photo (@AFPphoto) April 6, 2021
#France – In Indre-et-Loire, producers use braziers to protect their vines against brutal frost.
@gsouvant #AFPMore pictures on AFPForum:https://t.co/vTKfQycrAw pic.twitter.com/fIxNaW3yYg
— AFP Photo (@AFPphoto) April 7, 2021
A deep orange glow is emanating from the rolling vineyards of Chablis, France, where tens of thousands of candles are being lit to ward off frost as a cold snap threatens this year's vintage pic.twitter.com/zsvbt2vz6c
— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) April 8, 2021
Morning snow and frost at -7°C in Saone Valley, France today, Apr 7th.
Photo by Ardouin Antoni. Posted with permission. pic.twitter.com/FWWLeF2KVU
— severe-weather.EU (@severeweatherEU) April 7, 2021
Smoke rising from fires lit in the vineyards to protect them from frost at the Vouvray vineyard in Touraine, France last night. pic.twitter.com/dDCSjqPTHb
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) April 7, 2021
Around 80 to 90 percent of the nearly 68 000 ha (168 000) acres) making up the terroir have been ravaged to the frost.
Many other industry experts said the frost damage may be the worst since the 1990s.
"It’s a national phenomenon," said Jerome Despey, a winemaker from the Herault region and the secretary-general of the FNSEA.
"You can go back in history, there have been (freezing) episodes in 1991, 1997, 2003 but in my opinion, it’s beyond all of them."
Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie assured that the government is "fully mobilized to provide the necessary support to affected farmers. Around 70 million euros from the country's 100 billion euro COVID-19 recovery plan would go to the farmers so they can invest in protective equipment for their crops.
Featured image credit: Flickr
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How anyone can call this “globull warming is beyond me! Unpoliticized climate models show we are going through a global cold spell. Snow has been reported in the U.K. and other countries when it should be warming up for spring. Weather runs in cycles and people have to adjust.
On the bright side we now have a cure for obesity and type 2 diabetes. FAMINE
This is very sad but part of the end times scenario. The world is on the brink of the 7year Tribulation (GOD’S wrath upon all unbelievers. Please get rapture ready: accept JESUS CHRIST as your personal Lord and Savior today!!! Study biblical end times propehcy, listen to Dr. Ron Rhodes on end times chronolgoy.
Nonsense.. just the Planet cooling.. noting that t hat ‘warming’ was a hoax. ”Doctored Data, Not U.S. Temperatures, Set a Record This Year by James Taylor” .. and.. ”EconLog. 1.6%, Not 97%, Agree that Humans are the Main Cause of Global Warming. By David Henderson”.. and.. ”The UK Telegraph in their ClimateGate Series exposed the U of Exeter Climate Scientists, who were tasked with supplying the UN’s IPCC with temperature data.. for having deliberately placed thermometers on rooftops next to hot air con outlets, on black tarmac car parks, in city centers and supplied many readings from Russian locations with NO thermometers”.
There are 3 basic climate science principles:
-1) Climate science is in it’s absolute infancy.-2)The climate is so complex it is impossible to model or predict.
-3)The inherent complexity ensure it will always be changing and nothing man does impacts that.
In less political times a benign odourless clear trace a gas like co2 (0.042% of the atmosphere) and a gas like methane (0.00019% of the atmosphere) do not get mentioned.
There is a devil in every berry of the grape.
The Koran
good coverage, but your picture is misleading….it’s the fruit bud that freezes off in April; no one has fruit on the vine at this time of year..
The famines of the 17th, 18th centuries switched European populations to new crops.
Those of the 21st Century can be foreseen and reduced by new crops:
Urban roofs under glass, suburban under two transparent cover or thermal cover with lights, urban tower cultivation of algae, insects, sterile rodents. Cultivation of perennial crops alternating with climax local ecology (checkerboard, if necessary) in near-exurban spaces
Of course, all this is going to require mass desalination powered by thorium reactor. Clean water in unlimited, free quantities in salty seaside cities.
Plus more stuff, and the love of God.
see WORLD WAR COVID
major famines by end of this decade?
By the end of the decade? H***, how about the end of this year?
For some reason the USA is being spared the cold weather. However, the rest of the world is freezing.
Grapes are fruit. Few grapes = small quantities of wine.
In the USA the 1920s were called the “Roaring 20s”
I fear the 2020s will be called “Thin 20s”.
Mandatory, Global cooling induced Prohibition, enforced by events in existence, more likely.
Billions in agro losses convert to loss of power by the warming, world wide.
There will be no prohibition in 2021-22. If worse goes to worse, people will make moonshine. There are dozens of videos on that subject on youtube.