In Lower Saxony, a key region for growing fodder crops, the harvest is expected to be more than 40 percent down from normal years. As prices for fodder and hay climb higher, farmers are sending animals to the slaughterhouse earlier than usual. “We are afraid they’ll turn the drought into a bonanza by buying our animals at even lower prices when we already have difficulty surviving,” said one livestock farmer who requested anonymity. With the drought, their production costs will increase further, he said. The European Commission has promised exceptional aid to farmers, like speeding up aid payments and allowing farmers to cut hay from fallow land.

Source: Egypt Independent August 26, 2018 10:07 UTC