French frosts greatest agricultural catastrophe of 21st century - ag minister
April 16 , 2021
The frosts that hit France last week have been described as having the most severe impact on the agricultural industry in recent memory.
At least a third of French wine production worth almost €2 billion in sales will be lost this year after rare freezing temperatures devastated many vines and fruit crops across France.
The destruction has hit a swathe of the country, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Provence, damaging vines but also hitting growers of kiwifruit, apricots, apples and other fruit as well as crops such as beet and rapeseed.
• Updated: 10/04/2021 - 12:01
French farmers are fighting to prevent frost damage to vineyards and orchards in several regions of the country.
In recent days, they have been placing lit candles around the vineyards and spraying water to create a shell of ice around the buds.
A winegrower burns a bale of straw in the vineyards to protect them from frost on April 7, 2021 as the sun rises at the heart of the Vouvray vineyard in Touraine, FranceGuillaume Souvant/AFP
Winegrowers from the Daniel-Etienne Defaix wine estate light anti-frost candles in their vineyard near Chablis, Burgundy. April 7, 2021Jeff Pachoud/AFP
An aerial view of smoke rising from fires lit in the vineyards to protect them from frost at the heart of the Vouvray vineyard in Touraine, FranceGuillaume Souvant/AFP
French farmers are fighting to prevent frost damage to vineyards and orchard trees in several regions of the country.
To do so, they burn candles across the vineyards and spray water to create a shell of ice around the buds.
A winegrower burns a bale of straw in the vineyards to protect them from frost on April 7, 2021 as the sun rises at the heart of the Vouvray vineyard in Touraine, FranceGuillaume Souvant/AFP
Winegrowers from the Daniel-Etienne Defaix wine estate light anti-frost candles in their vineyard near Chablis, Burgundy. April 7, 2021Jeff Pachoud/AFP
An aerial view of smoke rising from fires lit in the vineyards to protect them from frost at the heart of the Vouvray vineyard in Touraine, FranceGuillaume Souvant/AFP