Cold snap hasn't undermined farmers' hopes of good harvest
The past few days, which seem to go down in records as the only period of cold weather in the winter of 2019/2020, have not posed a threat to the winter crops that have grown quicker than usual during the mild winter, Louna-Eesti Postimees reported.
A bit of cold and snow can't do anything to the winter crops anymore, farmers in Võru, Valga and Põlva counties say.
"Farmers have had it easy this winter, the weather's been warm for months on end - in December, January and February alike. This year, the favorable months luckily are all in a row," Erki Oidermaa, owner of the Oidermaa farm in Põlva County, told the Postimees edition for South Estonia.
"The plants can survive ten degrees of cold without even noticing. Our hopes now are very high, I don't believe we're going to get a lot of snow anymore either."
Ahti Nurm, a farmer in Valga County, said that the fields sown with winter crops look very fine and the warm winter has had a very positive effect on winter wheat and winter rapeseed.
"Winter's not over yet and the situation may change though," Nurm added.
The owner of Jaagumäe farm in Võru County, Mart Timmi, said the crops will be fine if temperatures don't drop below minus 10 degrees Celsius.
"The plants are changing color, they have used up their food supply, but we have no right to fertilize them before March 20," Timmi said.
He said that if the soil is dry enough to bear equipment, plants will get additional nutrients at the end of March and will be safe.
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Editor: Helen Wright