Anomalous heatwaves have led to the death of more than 10 thousand people in Western Europe.
Modern.az reports that "France Info" published this information, citing preliminary estimates from the French Farmers' Unions Federation (FNSEA).
It was noted that in addition to deaths, the heatwaves caused a crisis in agriculture in France, especially dairy production suffered serious damage, and losses in the sector are reported to reach 20-30 percent.
Arnaud Rousseau, president of FNSEA, stated that the ongoing drought, hot weather, and large-scale forest fires across the country have dealt a severe blow to farmers.
“The morale in French farms is at its lowest. This is a disaster for French farms,” he noted.
Rousseau stated that all areas of agriculture are facing a crisis. In some regions, crops are reported to have been completely destroyed due to the heat.
He also emphasized the ongoing economic problems in the sector. According to the head of FNSEA, fertilizer prices have increased by approximately 30 percent since the beginning of the year, while agricultural product prices remain at record low levels.
In connection with the current situation, the French government announced that approximately 150 million euros in aid has been allocated to farmers. The aid program is expected to come into effect on August 1.
However, representatives of farmers called on the government for a closer dialogue regarding support measures for the agricultural sector.
According to data released by the European mortality monitoring system on July 13, at least 10,000 people died on the continent as a result of the extreme heatwaves that swept Western Europe at the end of June.
The data was collected based on national statistics on mortality in 27 European countries during the week from June 22 to 28, when heatwaves peaked in France, Spain, the UK, and other countries.
Data released by “Gas Infrastructure Europe” on July 14, however, shows that France sharply increased its use of gas reserves at the beginning of July amid anomalous heatwaves.
According to the information, compared to other European countries facing heatwaves, the volume of gas reserves used by France was significantly higher.
