In These New Times

Iceland Review

25th July, 2009

South Iceland has been experiencing an unusually cold weather recently, with temperatures even going below zero at night.

Photo by Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.

Yesterday, mbl.is reported that due to the coldness, the potato plant has been damaged which affects the crops. Bergvin Jóhannsson, Chairman of the Potato Farmers Union calls that the fact that this is happening in July highly unusual.

According to Jóhannsson, the damage can be massive should the cold weather continue throughout the growing season, which is August. “It generally takes the plants about three weeks to recover, and therefore it is obvious that the crops will be less than we had hoped for,” he told mbl.is

“Such occurrences can be expected after mid August, but they are quite rare. This had been happening around august 20th, but not now for a few years.

He points out that nonetheless, the month of June was good, and they already have some crops.

Northern Iceland has also experienced dry and cold weather, but on the other hand the farmers are glad to have escaped the frost. There, it has even rained somewhat, which has been celebrated by local farmers. “That might just save our harvest.”