Lithuania declares drought emergency
Pastor Dale Morgan
Lithuania declares drought emergency *
VILNIUS, Aug 4 (AFP) Aug 04, 2006
The Lithuanian government declared a state of emergency in the country's
agricultural sector on Friday because of severe drought.
The announcement came after a special meeting of the cabinet. Losses to
farmers caused both by summer drought and by severe cold this winter
have been estimated at over 600 million litas (175 million euros, 222
million dollars), according the agriculture ministry.
The Lithuanian Agriculture Institute has estimated that crop yields in
the Baltic state will drop 30 percent compared to the average for the
last three years, national radio reported.
"Declaring a state of emergency is a formal step that shows the
agriculture ministry has taken into account the situation of farmers,"
ministry official Rimantas Krasuckis told AFP.
Krasuckis said agriculture ministry officials have asked the Lithuanian
government to pay out 200 million litas to partially cover farmers'
losses. But Friday's cabinet meeting did not discuss compensation.
The mercury hit 35.2 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) in northern
Lithuania in the first week of July, the highest in the Baltic state
this summer. The country's hottest recorded temperature was 37.5 Celsius
(100 Fahrenheit )in 1994.