Tatarstan plans to declare emergency state due to drought this week
A state of emergency can be declared in Tatarstan this week because of drought. Minister of Agriculture and Food of the republic Marat Zyabbarov said this claiming that there was 15mm of precipitation on average in June whereas the standard is 60mm.
“This year is being very dry. The weather has given us present every day this year. Spring was already early this year, sowing ended 2-2.5 weeks in advance,” he said.
According to him, there are “negative moments” related to the weather that’s unfavourable for harvest across Tatarstan. There was no precipitation at all in some districts in June.
“It is both soil drought and atmosphere drought. We plan to declare a state of emergency this year,” said Marat Zyabbarov.
Marat Zyabbarov assured the population that despite problems with harvest, neither the population nor enterprises will be left without grains. According to him, Tatarstan has the experience that will allow getting out of the situation.
As Vice Chairman of the Tatarstan State Council’s Committee for Environment, Nature Use, Agro-Industrial and Food Policy Takhir Khadeyev said, it is necessary to pay attention to the drought in many districts of the republic, especially in the southeast of Tatarstan, including raise the issue of a state of emergency.
“For instance, the precipitation was minimal in spring and summer in Yutazy District and some other districts, they have not only an air drought but also a soil drought. The picture is the same in Aznakayevo, Almetyevsk and Bavly districts. I think these districts can quite reasonably raise the issue of declaring a state of emergency because the fields of the above-mentioned districts have problems with forage preparation. There is going to be some reduction in grain harvest. Nowadays there is going to be poorer harvest than last year. While private households needs to be provided with forage too. At the same time, some Tatarstan districts, especially in the north of the republic, have good forage preparation results. These districts and households show different capabilities of adaptation to these conditions. Yes, perhaps, they have had more rain, but nobody has cancelled competitive technologies. Nowadays rain is needed across the republic. The current weather can be considered as norm, specialists and scientists need to create a set of agricultural and technological measures to combat drought. It happens once in two or three years in Tatarstan, draught is a regular here. It needs to be admitted and found measures to resist this occurrence,” said Takhir Khadeyev.