By Andrius Sytas
VILNIUS (Reuters) -About 50-70% of Lithuania’s agricultural harvest has been harmed or destroyed by heavy rainfall this summer, the government said on Wednesday as it declared a national emergency to help farmers.
“In many places the farmers cannot harvest their crops because the fields are flooded,” the government said in a statement, adding that much of the remaining harvest had been reduced in quality.
Lithuania produces wheat and other grains as well as root crops such as potatoes but the government did not give a breakdown of which was worst hit.
The Baltic country’s rainfall in June and July was the second heaviest on record, exceeded only by 2007, it said.
Neighbouring Latvia announced a national emergency on similar grounds last week, national broadcaster LSM reported.
“This year’s crop has suffered significantly and may not be harvested,” said Latvian Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius, editing by Terje Solsvik and Giles Elgood)
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