The recent snowfall in Korça, Albania, accompanied by a temperature drop, has impacted the agricultural sector, particularly affecting certain crops.
Arben Hysolli, a specialist at the Directorate of Agriculture in Korça, outlined the factors influencing the extent of damage. Notably, almonds, peaches, apricots, and cherries, especially early cherry cultivars, are at risk. The situation is under observation with an assessment expected within 72 hours.
Hysolli stated, "Yesterday's snowfall was also accompanied by a drop in temperatures, which reached -5.2/-6 degrees Celsius. The damage caused by the drop in temperatures depends on a number of factors, which are the duration of the minimum temperature, how far this minimum temperature has reached, the species or cultivar of the agricultural crop, as well as the phenological phase in which the agricultural crop is located."
Ongoing climate changes have increased the frequency of extreme weather, often catching farmers off guard. Preventive measures include creating smoke fog to raise temperatures locally and using centrifugal pumps to generate air currents, potentially increasing temperatures by up to 3 degrees Celsius.
Hysolli noted, "To tell the truth, in cases of extreme weather conditions, the frequency of extreme weather events has increased due to global warming. As such, farmers are sometimes unprepared for these situations, but in terms of technical advice, at the moment we are talking, they are lighting fires by creating smoke fog, with improvised means that farmers may have such as wet straw, wet cardboard, shards, improvised means to create this smoke fog. Centrifugal pumps can also be used here, which create air currents, which adjust the temperature by up to 3 degrees."
Further verification will determine the extent of the damage and the affected areas in the southeast.
Source: CNA