The planet is on fire, and so is Serbia! Tropical temperatures have no intention of lowering in the coming days, which will bring harm to farmers. Crops need rain so that the yields are not lower than tolerable, and the question is whether, due to the state of the water level on the Danube, barges will be able to transport wheat, oil… That this heat affects the entire economy is also a fact. that employers started to introduce shorter working hours. In addition, in unusual ways they help the workers who are engaged under bright and hot asphalt to cool down.
The burning star has no mercy on agricultural crops. Maltene, all cultures are affected by precipitation, and judging by the current forecasts of meteorologists, the heat wave that has loomed over our area will not subside even in the coming days. Temperatures, which reach more than 40 degrees Celsius in some parts of Serbia, will reduce yields. How big they will be depends on the sky.
The earth is cracked and dry, and the leaves of many plants have begun to dry. Wheat “escaped” from the drought, which cannot be said for corn, sunflower and soy, and not even for sugar beet. These are spring crops that are now in the generative phase and need rain. According to the Agricultural Advisory and Expert Service of Serbia (PSSS), corn is currently in the stage of grain pouring, i.e. in the stage of milk maturity, depending on the ripening group, location and application of agrotechnics.
We use 15 percent more electricity
CONSUMPTION of electricity is 15 percent higher than the average of previous years, due to greater use of air conditioning, and EPS and EDS report that both the production and the distribution system are functioning stably. EDS says that on Sunday in the territory of Belgrade, a daily flow of 23.49 million kilowatt-hours was recorded, which is 24.61 percent more compared to the same date last year, and in the entire country on that day electricity consumption was 8 times higher. .55 percent and amounted to 79.8 million kilowatt-hours. When interpreting these data, they add, all factors that affect the daily consumption of electricity, such as daily temperature, weather conditions, etc., should be taken into account. in the observed period of this and last year.
EPS states that it has reserves of more than 1.5 million tons of coal, while there are more than 510 gigawatt-hours in the reservoirs.
– Production in power plants functions safely and stably and EPS will, as always, in all weather conditions and situations, provide enough electricity for citizens and the economy – the company emphasizes. – As every year, this summer, in accordance with the Business Plan, standard, extended and major overhauls of EPS production capacities are being carried out so that the system is ready to work stably and reliably during the next winter season. These days, in the thermal sector, major overhauls of TENT A2 and “TE-KO Kostolac” A1 and B1 are underway, and the revitalization of the reversible hydroelectric power plant “Bajina Bašta” is also underway.
EPS, as they add, planned all overhauls on time and energy was procured in advance at much more favorable prices. In the electricity trade on the free market, this year EPS made a profit of almost 22 million euros, that is, for that much more energy was sold than it was bought.
– In the previous period, when there was actual flowering, the conditions were favorable when it comes to the temperature, which was around 30 degrees and was accompanied by precipitation – say the PSSS. – This was conducive to good fertilization, but now precipitation is lacking for all plant species. Maize, in particular, is a thrifty plant species that uses water rationally. However, these temperatures adversely affect its condition, because the lower leaves have begun to dry. Hybrids from an earlier ripening group, and those sown earlier, in April, are in a somewhat more favorable position. If there is no rainfall, corn from the later ripening group will be in big trouble.
Although the sunflower likes warm weather and sunshine, it also needs rain. Compared to soybeans, which are the most drought tolerant, sunflower will thrive, but will give a lower yield. When it comes to soybeans, they say in PSSS, it is the most endangered, because this drought coincides with the formation of flowers. Due to unfavorable conditions, they will fall off, and pods will not form.
According to the agroeconomist Žarko Galetin, our country belongs to the zone of moderate continental climate, and accordingly we grow fruits, vegetables and field crops. These extreme climate changes do not suit the plants at all.
– So far, nothing is tragic, regardless of the fact that there will be less yield – Galetin tells us. – Just as the May rain brought out the April drought, we hope that at least 30 to 40 liters per square meter will fall by the end of the month, so that the crops will survive. All plant species will be able to last another ten days. If it doesn’t rain for two or three weeks, then serious consequences follow.
Cooling sprinklers
A CONSTRUCTION company engaged in the construction of an underground garage in the heart of the capital, in Vlajkovićeva Street, has come up with a way to help its workers, so that they can bear the heat more easily while they are at work. They installed two cooling sprinklers on the construction site.
Speaking about vegetable growing, Galetin says that the price of cultivation is expected to increase. These crops are mostly grown under controlled conditions, and those smaller plots that do not have this infrastructure will suffer damage. On the other hand, the most common fruits in our country are plum, apple and pear. Predictions are that here, too, the yield will be reduced by five to ten percent.
– That is not small at all, bearing in mind that they produce a crop of one million tons, and a rough estimate is that the damage will be around 20 million euros – says our interlocutor.
Unlike paors, who go out to the field at dawn and hide from the sun before it heats up, builders generally don’t have that option. However, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs issued guidelines for working outdoors at extremely high temperatures. They imply that in the period between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., workers rest more, that they are provided with water on the construction site, that work starts earlier, that breaks are taken during the part of the day when the heat is most extreme, that work is done until later hours than it is common to organize a night shift wherever technological conditions allow.
That is why the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, visited construction sites, where he made sure that employers generally follow the guidelines.
– In this way, we will protect workers from high temperatures and ensure that all projects are completed within the stipulated time – said Vesić. – On Saturday, I visited the construction site in Belgrade on the water, where the workers who work there are taken very seriously. In the coming days, I will continue to visit the construction sites to check how the builders are being protected, but also how the work is progressing.
Some cities in Serbia have shortened their working hours. Thus, in Bačka Palanka, instead of working in the fields from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., the hourly rate was moved to 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. In Vršac, the museums shortened their working hours and are now open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and some shops and restaurants only open from 7 p.m. The people of Kikinda have temporarily canceled the tourist taxi rides. In this city, the working hours of the employees of JP “Kikinda” have been shortened, and the markets open already at six in the morning. The people of Kragujevac allowed the artisans to work until 11 p.m., so that they could close their shops in the hottest part of the day.
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Source: www.novosti.rs
